Rogan spoke for some time more, outlining the further details. "We leave at dusk. It’s three hours journey, so get some rest now. When the moon rises, we will light a beacon, attached to a small dirigible. This is the signal to attack. That is all."
Miro could tell by the Blademaster’s tone that he didn’t believe in the plan either. On the face of it, it seemed good — the chance to wipe out an entire division of the legion — but the risk was there for all to see. It was dangerous.
Ronell grumbled when they returned to the remains of their meal. "I don’t like the sound of this."
Around them, Miro could hear the common soldiers talking to each other, sharing their fear. The bladesingers radiated confidence, but the general mood of the men was crucial.
Miro projected composure he didn’t feel. "Our part will be simple — to draw the imperials back to the main force. As long as we make that our goal and do nothing brave — and by brave I mean foolish — we’ll be fine."
"How close behind us will the main Alturan army be? How long will we have to lead the enemy?"
Miro shrugged. "I don’t know. We move a lot quicker than the main force, so perhaps an hour?"
"An hour!"
"Or it could be less."
"Or more," grinned Bartolo. Miro shot him a dirty look.
"Yes, or more."
"Lord of the Sky," Ronell muttered.
Miro knew Ronell was just voicing his nerves, the fear they all felt. They said nothing more as they settled in to get some sleep.
None of them did.
23
Do not merely give lip-service to the Evermen. Give yourself in your heart. Serve the poor and the needy. The greatest threat to the future is indifference.
— Sermons of Primate Melovar Aspen, 538 Y.E.
"QUIET. Do you hear something?" Bartolo said.
A small hare burst out of the bushes. Ronell’s runes flared brightly as he instantly responded with an activation sequence.
"Change your sequence, now!" a voice hissed. It was Bladesinger Huron, the next ahead of them.
Ronell’s chanting changed and the glow instantly stilled. There was a whole new inflection just for dimming the glow of the runes while they were activated. The chanting stopped completely as Ronell deactivated. Miro didn’t blame him, he wasn’t chanting himself. It was just too hard to do it quietly.
They walked in single file through the damp forest, their breath steaming in the frigid air. The sound of water dripping onto leaves was incessant, but for some reason the sounds of the forest were completely absent. No insects buzzed, no animals called. Perhaps they sensed the presence of intruders.
Miro felt a hand restrain him. The trees thinned ahead and they would soon be losing their cover. Part of him longed to get out of the dripping thickets, but another part didn’t want to leave their protection. Miro guessed no one was looking forward to the exposure out on the hills.
It had been a gruelling journey, trudging through swamps and thick forests with fear always at the back of their minds. The most difficult part was the silence, the bladesingers didn’t speak, their communications all made through a complex language of hand signals that Miro and the other two recruits were still learning.
The waiting finally ended, and the bladesingers left the cover of the forest, moving in a single line through the hills.
It was rough, rocky ground, littered with stones of all sizes, ranging from tiny pebbles to massive boulders. Miro stepped carefully to avoid displacing the stones.
The moon rose as the bladesingers sped across the ground, a deadly force, but with Miro feeling terribly exposed. In the silver moonlight Miro could see the ground rise on either side to form a gentle valley. As they moved closer, the walls of the valley grew steeper until it became the mouth of a canyon.
Miro realised the difficulty of their task now, how the reality of the situation was so different from what he had imagined.
It was open ground, well lit, with minimal cover. Miro didn’t know what the other end of the canyon was like but he hoped it was better than this. It would be simplicity itself for scouts to be posted who could easily see the dark shapes moving towards the canyon. They should stop now.
They halted behind a huge rock, the best cover they would find for some time. The bladesingers grouped together, conferring.
Bladesinger Huron breathed into Miro’s ear. "Shadow. Activate. Quietly."
Miro passed the message along to Ronell and Bartolo. He held eye contact with each in turn for a moment. First Bartolo nodded, and then Ronell.
This would be the first true test of their training.
First Miro began a slow steady chant, the volume of his voice as low as he could make it, naming the runes one after another. He started with the inflection that dimmed the glowing, then added agility. He thought of adding protection, and slowed his rhythm, first making sure he was grasping the current sequence. Then Miro added protection, the runes glowing softly, almost dark. He felt the armoursilk strengthen as the material was imbued with the power to turn the strongest steel.