ONE bladesinger, fifty Alturan soldiers, and two hundred ironmen held against the Black Army's counter-attack for nearly an hour before Marshal Beorn arrived with reinforcements.
In the end, they held the field, and the Black Army fled to nurse its wounds. Of the fifty Alturan swordsmen, only twelve lived. The Alturan captain numbered among the dead, and as he looked at the brave man's body, Miro realised he'd never even asked his name.
Throughout the night, Marshal Scola harried the enemy, maintaining the initiative while Miro and Beorn consolidated their defences. With every hour that passed, the animators unearthed more constructs, but the moment of greatest triumph came when, cheering wildly, they even salvaged two massive colossi. Miro instructed them to keep going, rescuing as many as they could until the essence ran out.
As the next day dawned, Miro realised there had been no more counter-attacks. He had held Halrana soil for a full day. At midday the animators told him there would be no more constructs to add to their numbers.
Miro ordered the army to decamp and advance further into Halaran, while the Black Army fled in front of them.
Now Miro had the initiative.
He didn't plan to lose it.
32
SUMMER was over, but it was two weeks more before Ella told the prince that the time was right.
Ella and Shani had spent long hours planning while the desert warriors fought amongst themselves, spoiling to fight. The prince eventually took a personal hand keeping his men in line, publicly trying eight men for insurgency, and another three for their poor treatment of Petryans. All eleven men were executed by beheading. Shani told Ella she was finally beginning to believe the prince would keep his word and treat her people well.
Prince Ilathor met with the leaders of the other tarns and gave them his promise they would be fighting when the season turned. Ella, whenever she looked at the maps on the wall of the chamber at the top of the tower, could feel the prince's eyes on her. She caught him smiling when he looked at her and couldn't help herself smiling in return. She hadn't kissed him again, and he hadn't pushed her, but part of her wanted him to try.
The prince organised contests, something very familiar to the Petryans, who were happy to look on and supply rules and advice. The locals refrained from joining in the horse races and swordfighting, but they were glad to participate in the wrestling, running and jumping. The games gave the desert warriors some focus, and the Petryans began to smile again. Ella's respect for Ilathor grew.
There wasn't a soul in Torlac who didn't wonder about Tlaxor. The tiered city had been under siege for months now, with no fresh food or water crossing the lake. The prince was obviously cognizant of the iron grip the Petryan High Lord had over his people, and had made his plans accordingly, but still, how could Haptut Alwar not relent?
Then, one day, Shani knocked at the door to Ella's chamber. The Petryan elementalist was red-eyed and hard-faced; Ella had never seen her friend so upset. "What is it?" Ella said, putting her book to the side and standing up.
Shani held out her hands, indicating she didn't want Ella to come any closer. "Bodies," Shani said. "Thousands upon thousands of them. A patrol finally found where they've all been washing up. This siege is taking its toll after all."
"I'm so sorry," Ella said.
"I made them take me to see. Most of them were starved, and probably died of hunger, but not all. Some were tortured."
"It's how the High Lord keeps control," Ella said. "I wish it weren't so."
"If we left, supplies would reach the city, and many lives would be saved. Yet things would not change. Petrya would not be free."
"I often have the same thought," Ella said. "The best thing we can do is end it quickly. It won't be long now, I promise. They won't be expecting what we plan."
Shani nodded and left the room. That night, Ella prayed as hard as she ever had to the Lord of the Sky for the season to change. She desperately needed cooler weather.
Meanwhile, Ella worked on the most important part of her and Shani's plan. In the coolest cellars, deep beneath the barracks where the prince had made his command centre, Ella had the prince's men construct huge water tanks. She kept them building night and day, and as they finished one tank she made them start on another. Ella put some more men to work filling the tanks with water, and some others still lugging sacks back and forth, adding salt to the water.