Then a shout from the other side, beyond Arutha’s vision, sounded, and several of the rearmost goblins began battling some other foe. The goblins ceased moving, as they were trapped between two groups of attackers.
A yell from behind caused Arutha to spin about. Jimmy and Locklear had been watching the rear, and another company of goblins was appearing at the far end of the defile. Without hesitation, Arutha shouted, “Climb! Get out!”
He and the boys leaped for the rocks, then stabbed downward at the goblins to allow Amos and Guy a chance to climb upward. Now Arutha could see what had caused the first band of goblins to flee back toward him. A company of dwarves was battling furiously against the goblins. Behind the dwarves, two elves could also be seen, who drew bows and fired over the heads of their shorter companions. Arutha recognized one of the elves and shouted, “Galain!”
The elf looked up and waved. He shouldered his bow and leaped up on the ridge, skirting the fighting in the gully below. With a long running leap he cleared another wash and landed on the side of the defile where Arutha stood. “Martin has gone on to Yabon! Are you all right?”
Arutha nodded as he drew a deep breath. “Yes, but the city’s gone.”
The elf said, “We know. Even miles away the explosion was seen. We’ve been encountering refugees all night. Most of the dwarves under Dolgan have formed a rough corridor along the high trail.” He pointed back down the main trail they had used in coming to Armengar. “Most of those fleeing will get through.”
Guy said, “There are children in that cave up there.” He waved to where Shigga crouched on the other side of the defile.
Galain called out, “Arian! There are children up there.” He pointed toward the cave. The second detachment of goblins joined the fray and further conversation was halted. Several goblins attempted to climb up after those in the rocks, but Amos kicked one in the face and Jimmy ran another through, and the others thought better of it.
A momentary pause in the fight allowed Arian, the other elf, to yell, “We’ll get them out.” The elf continued to shoot at the goblins while two dwarves scrambled up the small trail, to aid Shigga, Briana, and the two remaining Armengarian soldiers in getting the children safely down.
Galain said, “Calin sent a company of us to Stone Mountain, to honour Dolgan’s accepting the crown. When Martin arrived and told of what was going on up here, Dolgan set off at once. Arian and I decided to come along while the rest returned to Elvandar with word of Murmandamus’s march. Calin can’t leave our forests unprotected with Tomas gone, but I suspect he’ll send a company of archers to help the dwarves get the survivors over the mountain. The dwarves’ corridor is well held, from the Inclindel Gap to about a mile west of here. Dolgan’s warriors are all through the hills, so it’ll be lively up here for a while.”
The dwarves fought a holding action from behind a shield wall while those above handed the children down to two dwarves at the rear, who quickly led them to safety. Jimmy tugged at Guy’s sleeve and pointed to where a company of trolls was climbing up from below. Guy glanced about, seeing better than a dozen goblins still between himself and the dwarves, then pointed toward the east. He waved to Briana and Shigga, indicating they should flee with the children. Quickly Guy and the others scrambled behind the goblins, and leaped down. They ran back to the last intersection they had used, and moved down the shallow gully. Ducking into the same covering they had availed themselves of moments before, Guy said, “Those trolls coming up from below will make it impossible to reach the dwarves. Perhaps we can drop lower and move along until we’ve circled around them.”
Galain said, “It’s pretty chaotic up here. I was with the most forward elements of Dolgan’s army and they’ve come as far as they can. Now they’ll begin withdrawing. If we don’t overtake them quickly, we’ll be left behind.”
Further conversation was interrupted by shouts from above as more of Murmandamus’s forces ran along the ridges toward the invading dwarves. Guy signalled and they moved off at a crouched walk, deeper into the wash, heading down. After they had gone a few hundred more yards, Guy said, “Where are we?”
They all exchanged looks and realized they had taken a different way from the one they had come, and now they were somewhere to the west of the cavern that had emptied out behind the city. Jimmy glanced up and began to rise, then ducked down again. He pointed. “There’s a glow in the sky still, over there, so that must be where the city is.”
Guy swore softly. “We’re not as far east as I thought. I don’t know where this gully empties out.”
Arutha looked at the lightening sky. “We’d better keep moving.” They hurried off, not certain where they were heading, but knowing that to be caught would be to die.
“Riders,” whispered Galain, who had been scouting ahead.