Jehral timed it perfectly. One moment there was nothing. The next his riders came flying out of the illusion to crash into the side of the enemy. Instantly it was chaos. Their leader was unable to regroup his men for another charge. Bodies were entangled in a fighting mess.
Ella could see Prince Ilathor quickly gain the advantage. Some of the enemy tried to run but were cut down from behind. She waited for the Prince to offer quarter to the men of Tarn Fasala.
The offer never came. She watched in horror as the enemy were slaughtered to a man.
The sand was drenched with blood.
She thought about her brother, involved in battles of this kind, fighting an unyielding foe.
She had to get away.
51
The world is a truly marvellous place. But the most wondrous thing of all is the human spirit.
— Toro Marossa, ‘Explorations’, Page 18, 423 Y.E.
AMBER looked over the empty shelves at the food market. No apples today, not even an onion. She sighed and looked around. There must be something.
She saw Lorna Donwright. The woman’s eyes were red, she’d obviously been weeping. Her husband had also been called away to war. It seemed there was nobody left in Altura but women, children, and the elderly. The vitality had gone from Sarostar.
A woman suddenly came up to Lorna, a shocked expression on her face. It was Hollie Ronson. When she spoke Lorna’s face drained of all colour. Another woman joined them.
Amber walked over.
"What is it?" Amber said.
"Did you hear? A soldier arrived during the night, terribly wounded. He’d been in the south — he was with the High Enchantress’s party. They’re dead, Amber. The High Enchantress has been killed."
"No," Amber couldn’t believe it. "Lord of the Sky, save us."
"I can’t believe it," Lorna was saying over and over, shaking her head.
Hollie continued. "I hear the army is being pushed back all the way through Halaran. They don’t even expect to hold Mornhaven much longer. They’ll be on our doorstep soon."
Amber suddenly spoke, "Ella. Did they say anything about Ella?"
"Yes. I… I’m sorry Amber. She was with them when they were attacked. She didn’t make it."
Amber didn’t move. Time stood still. Ella was dead.
"I’m sorry, Amber," Lorna said.
"You were her friend, weren’t you?" said Hollie.
"Thank you, Lorna, Hollie" Amber said.
She turned and started walking. She thought of Ella’s vitality and her smile. She cast her mind back to the day of their graduation, when she had sat in the sunshine with Ella and Miro, the joy of each other’s company warming their hearts. Ella, dead. She couldn’t believe it.
She only realised where she was going when she arrived. The Temple of the Sky in the city’s heart. She pushed open the heavy doors and instantly felt the calm of the place. Soothing, tinkling music came from somewhere. A great circle shone in the ceiling, entirely of crystal, artfully made to scatter sunlight throughout the temple in a gentle glow.
Rows of marble benches were tiered back from the podium. Amber could see quite a few other people scattered about the room, their heads bowed in prayer. Knowing that it was a difficult time for many people still didn’t help her much.
She picked a place at random and sat down. She felt tired, so tired. The words of prayer didn’t cross her lips. Her thoughts weren’t on the Skylord. She just took the time to remember Ella. With the loss of her friend, Amber had lost the last hold on her youth. All she had now were her memories.
"May the Lord of the Sky bless you, my child," a voice came from beside her. It was the priest, Father Morten. Amber hadn’t much liked his sermons about wickedness and morality when she had been a child. Now, with his kind face looking down at her, she suddenly felt the warmth of his kindness like a fire in her heart.
"Would you like to talk?" Father Morten said.
She nodded. He took a seat beside her.
"I learned today that I have lost a friend," she said. Her voice cracked slightly as she said it.
"I offer you my sympathy. Wherever she is now, she has gone to a better place."
"My husband has gone to war."
"I will pray for him. It is hard — to fear for one you love."
"But I don’t love him. I should never have married him." Amber found herself opening up to the priest. Before she knew it, she had told him everything. About Miro and Ella. About Igor and her pregnancy.
The priest said little, he simply listened and offered words of encouragement.
"It’s the nature of war, I suppose," Amber said finally. She felt tired now. "I’m so tired, but I wish I could do more. Thank you for talking to me, Father. I am sorry I didn’t come before."
"We all have our own way of expressing faith. It doesn’t have to be within these walls. Even the Dunfolk have their Eternal."
Amber looked up, "Father, could you tell me something?"
"What is it, my child?"
"The Dunfolk — why are they so angry with us?"
Father Morten sighed, "It is a sad story. I fear not all men of the cloth have hearts as pure as the Evermen."