Page 46 of Of Blood and Fire
“Yes, but?—”
“It remains impractical,” Garran cut in. “The mere act of opening the lower gates will signal an exit. They’ll likely be keeping an eye on the wicket, too.”
Because we’d used that single-person gateway in the past to get around their forces at the main gate.
“There is another option,” Damon said. “The tunnel.”
“That’s risky, especially given Makki didn’t specifically say it went into Mareritten. He said it was a rodent run into the mountains.” I glanced at Garran and added, “Makki used an old escape tunnel that runs from the royal suite down to the servants’ quarters to get into my suite. Apparently it runs on into the military zone and then skims the edges of the Blue Steel mountains into Mareritten.”
“I’ve never heard of such a tunnel,” Jarin said, frowning, “but if itdoesexist, it would be a brilliant means of getting a military force into Mareritten unseen, and might even let us get behind the bastards.”
“We don’t know as yet if it remains viable, let alone large enough to enable a company of soldiers through,” Damon said. “But it is worth investigating.”
And it gave him something to do while I was off flying my drakkons. He didn’t say that, but I nevertheless heard it deep inside. It made me wonder what he intended to do with his time once this war was over.
Explore,came the reply.This place, these lands, my wife....
His answer whispered through my thoughts, as clear as if he’d spoken them out loud. What had once been little more than instinctive understanding was developing into a clear line of communication. I raised an eyebrow at him, got a washof soft amusement in reply, and returned my attention to the conversation.
“I agree, but Bryn is right about the risks.” Garran glanced at Jarin. “Can we afford to pull an earth mage from the wall-bolstering detail?”
“In order to find a passage that would allow us to get into Mareritten undetected? Definitely.”
“Might be worth laying in some protective measures along the passage if itisviable,” I said. “If we can use it to get out, then they can use it to get in.”
“Easily enough done,” Damon said, “though I would need the blood of a Mareritt to fully ensure viability.”
A smile twitched Garran’s lips. “I’m surethatcan be arranged.”
“Before you blood him, it might be worth questioning him,” I said. “The Mareritt have obviously been trading with the gilded riders for some time now and should know where their home country is.”
“If you’re thinking of flying the drakkons out there, I don’t think it wise,” Garran said. “Eight drakkons cannot possibly defeat an entire nation of winged monstrosities. It would be better to find whatever waystation they’re using to fly these additional soldiers up onto the Sheer, and destroy that.”
“We already know they’re coming from the northeast,” Jarin said. “And that they’re using Ezu as a waypoint for their birds, along with a number of barges midway between the islands and Mareritten?—”
“Which suggests to me the birds might not have the flight stamina of the drakkons,” Garran cut in. “And that does make sense, given the combined weight of their metal feathers and their armor-clad riders.”
“Which reminds me,” I said. “Has there been any word from Franklyn and his team about the weapon they’re developing to cut through that armor?”
We’d handed them several packs stuffed with the bits and pieces of armor we’d retrieved from the Mareritten dead at Hopetown well over a week ago now, and while I was aware it could take some time to develop such a weapon, time was the one thing we were running short on.
“They’re currently working with alchemists on recreating a version of the acid using the sample we have and adding a liquid fire accelerant to increase volume and flammability,” Jarin said. “They hope to have something workable within the next day or so.”
“Because making an unstable liquid even more unstable doesn’t sound dangerous atall,” I said wryly.
Garran cast me a brief but amused glance. “Where’d they get the acid sample from?”
“We pilfered it from a supply station up near the Beak before we destroyed it,” Damon said.
“But wouldn’t the riders’ armor be immune to the acid? There’d have to be instances where they’re forced to fly through its backwash.”
“A backwash is very different to a concentrated spray,” I commented. “It’s like us with the backwash of drakkon fire—we feel it, but it doesn’t affect us.”
It may well affect our coats and clothes, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.
Garran grunted, though whether that meant he agreed it was the same sort of thing, I couldn’t say.
“Is it possible to capture and question one of the riders?” Neera asked. “About where the riders come from, I mean.”
