“We saw it,” Ticastasy said, nodding.
Allavin shook his head. “But he knew that when he faced her. No, what I worry about more is the two Shae.” The girl’s eyes flared with worry. Allavin held up his hand. “I double backed to fetch them but they ran another way. You’ve got to understand something about the Shae. They can smell Forbidden magic at a hundred paces. The kind that she used – this Sorian woman – well, that’s the most Forbidden kind there is. When I got back, the Kiran Thall were everywhere.” He frowned, the memory of Tiryn’s death still bitter in his soul. “When she came, it reminded me of our ambush here in the ‘Wood. Like I was living it all over again. The same sounds, the same looks. I thought none of us would make it out.”
The serving girl nodded and squeezed his arm. “Was that near here?”
Allavin gave her a level look and sighed. “Other side of the Iron Point Road. I came here because some Shae scouts were flying overhead on alerion for a routine visit to Avisahn and saw some sort of magic storm in the Shadows Wood not far from Landmoor.”
“They flew a what?” Ticastasy asked
Sturnin answered. “They are like large birds, but their wings have scales that cut like knives. We call them Dragonshrikes in the Kingshadow, but the Shae named them alerion. They love sheep.”
Allavin nodded in agreement. “You won’t see them in the Shoreland because they hate the heat. They prefer the cliffs and the snows. The watchposts of Citadellian and Jove Stand breed them to serve as mounts. Beautiful creatures. Their plumage is like the fire of a candle.”
Flent and Ticastasy both stared at him in wonder.
“The Shae fly the alerion to keep information traveling to Avisahn,” Allavin continued. “As I was saying, the scouts I knew were going there, but they saw magic being done in the Shadows Wood. They saw a waterfall and wooded glen. The forests were swarming with Bandits. They’d never seen that much activity before and wondered at the source of the magic. That’s when we found Ballinaire digging up the Everoot. That’s when we were attacked. I thought it was a Sleepwalker, because I couldn’t get a good look at it. The reputation – that’s what I’m saying. But the thing that hunted us down killed all four Shae and would have killed me if I hadn’t stumbled into quickmire.”
Sturnin leaned forward. “I’m sorry about your Shae friends, Devers. But right now we’re missing two of ours. Did you see where they went?”
“I saw where the Kiran Thall were hunting them, but if Thealos has any sense, he’ll start cutting crossways to make the trail difficult to follow. My fear is that they might double back and try and find ours, and I don’t think either is good enough to out-track these Bandits. The Kiran Thall will catch them pretty banned fast if they tried.”
Sturnin seemed to agree. “Would they be smart enough to go on to Landmoor?”
Allavin rubbed his chin. He picked a twig out of his beard. “I think so.”
The knight rose. “If the Sleepwalker’s dead, then we only have one option left. You go after the two Shae. You’ve got to catch up with them before the Bandits do.”
“There’s a Bandit regiment in between us, looking for all six of us,” Allavin reminded him, shaking his head.
“I heard about that time when you led a company of Bandits around in circles for three days, giving the knights enough time to get there. We hung the commander when we caught him.” He chuckled gruffly. “If anyone can, Devers, it would be you.”
Allavin grinned, embarrassed. “All right, it’s not that hard. But finding two Shae in the middle of the night without getting caught by the bloody Shoreland regiment is not as easy as you’d think. I’ll need help, Flent.”
“Me?” the Drugaen spluttered.
“You saw me at thirty paces in the dark and I was trying not to be seen. Besides, I can’t handle a company of Kiran Thall on my own.”
“Then why don’t we all go?” Ticastasy said. Her arms folded and her eyes flashed defiantly.
Sturnin shook his head. “No, lass. We need to warn the governor of Landmoor and ready the fortress for a siege. Jaerod thinks she will fall in a day. But I think we can hold her longer and maybe even muster a sally against these craven rooks. You saw that army. They’ve got tide fever and dysentery. Hardly half would be fit to march.” He looked at Ticastasy. “You’re coming with me.”
She shook her head. “You warn the city, then. I’ll go with Flent.”
Sturnin gave her a rock-hard expression. He wasn’t about to be countermanded by a serving girl. “You do not want to be caught by a Bandit army in the middle of a war. You’d be serving more than Spider ale.”
Her face went ashen. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Good, lass. We’ll have our own troubles. But leaving you out here in the woods isn’t a good idea either.”