Page 346 of Of Empires and Dust

After a moment, the woman stepped forwards, pressed a fist to her chest, and bowed. “Warden of Varyn, thank the gods.”

Across the chamber, others whispered the same thing. That damned name.

The woman was barely older than he was, her hair matted with blood.

“Are you all right?”

She nodded, swallowing hard. “They killed Tomas and Ferol, Mattea is injured. But the rest can keep fighting.”

“What is your name?”

“Yandira, Warden.”

“I am Calen Bryer, and this is Tivar Savinír,” he said, gesturing towards Tivar, who stared at the ground, her sword returned to its scabbard. “Where are the others, Yandira? Farwen and Coren? What is the situation?”

“At the gates, I think. The Lorians broke through the scout tunnels. We were stationed here to watch over the children and the injured.” Yandira motioned towards a low wall built from upturned boxes at the far side of the chamber.

Men and women lay on shoddy cots, wounds wrapped in bandages, limbs missing. Calen couldn’t see any children, but he could hear their whimpers.

“If the soldiers get in behind the others… they won’t stand a chance.”

Calen nodded. “Is there a safe way out of the mountain?”

“There’s a sally port near the armoury,” one of the men said, stepping forwards. “That is where we’re to go if Tarhelm is breached.”

“Go. And gather anyone you see along the way. Tarhelm is lost but the people are not. We will cover your escape and ensure the Lorians have no desire to pursue. We will need one of you to guide us to the gates.”

“I will go.” Yandira stood tall and proud, her back straight, but Calen could see the fear in her eyes. “It would be my honour, Warden.”

“The honour is mine.” Calen gave the woman the slightest of bows, resting a hand on the pommel of his sword as he did. “Please, lead the way.”

When they reached the tunnel mouth that led from the chamber, Calen stopped and turned back, searching for the man who had spoken of the sally port. He found him leading one of the injured rebels. “Keep them safe,” Calen said, looking aroundat the others. “That is your task now. Get these people to the sally port. Don’t look back.”

“What do we do when we get there?”

“Get free of the mountain and find the nearest safe place. If nobody follows you through by the break of the next day, find shelter.” Calen rested a hand on the man’s shoulder. “We will not abandon you, I swear it.”

Several men and women stepped forwards, hefting shields and spears, cold iron in their eyes.

“We will not fail you, Warden,” a tall man said, shoulders broad, his left ear a bloody stump. He looked to be as old as Vars had been when he’d died.

“Nor I you.”

Calen pressed a gauntleted hand to his breastplate, inclined his head, then turned and followed Yandira through the tunnel.

“You speak well,” Tivar said as they entered the tunnel.

“I said what I needed to,” Calen answered. His memories shifted to Kollna and Tarast, to their last moments, to the fire in their hearts, to their sense of purpose – his purpose. “We must be the light they look to. Nothing less.” He turned to Yandira. “Lead the way.”

Rist followedGarramon through the never-ending web of tunnels and chambers, Neera and Magnus at his side, Kalder and Lakrin trailing at the rear, the three hundred or so surviving soldiers in between them.

The four Chosen moved with them, never so much as uttering a word, the runes in their silver armour illuminating any shadow that dared stretch across the rock.

Garramon had found a sealed tunnel almost a mile further up the mountain, and they’d smashed through with the Spark. They lost quite a few of their number to the rebels on the other side.

They had not been long through the tunnel when a massive explosion shook the mountain, waves of the Spark rippling through the rock. Murmurs spread through the soldiers.

“What in the ever-loving fuck was that?” Magnus asked, looking about as dust and small chips of rocks fell from the ceiling.

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