“Rather unsettling,” Badger agreed. Leaning over in his saddle he kissed Jala lightly on the cheek and smiled at her. “It’ll be fine Curly. Your knight knows what he is doing,” he said in reassurance as he turned his own horse. “Gotta get the militia ready,” he said as he kicked his mount into a trot.
Jala glanced at Neph before turning back to watch Valor ready his knights. When they had come to Merro they had been considered misfits. Now, however, she saw the backbone of her forces. In every fight so far it had been the knights that had led the assault. Valor rode through the ranks nodding to some and patting others on the shoulder before moving forward to take his position in front. “Why does he always have to lead?” Jala muttered
“Just a guess, but I’m going to say it’s because he’s their leader,” Neph offered with a smirk. “It’s Valor, Jala. He is too stupid to stay some place safe. Have you ever once seen him look for the safest place? No he is always right in front in his shiny armor practically begging to be killed,” Neph added rolling his eyes at her.
“He is fearless,” Jala agreed, her eyes still on the knights. They were an impressive sight. There was no denial there.
“No, I said he was brainless,” Neph corrected, then turned to watch as Wisp led her archers past and began to position them on either side of the field. “Almost go time,” Neph said flexing his fingers. “Where the hell is Jail?” He asked, shifting in his saddle once more to look behind them.
“I haven’t seen him all morning,” Jala admitted, though that wasn’t unusual lately. Jail drifted through the camp constantly using his mind fog to keep others from noticing his presence. “I haven’t seen Ash either, now that I think of it,” Jala added with a frown.
“Come to think of it, where is Sovann? What the hell? Did they all desert and we just now noticed?” Neph looked over to her, his gaze leaving the archers, a look of question on his face. “Sovann is always with Wisp, but I don’t see him there now.”
Jala’s frown deepened and she shook her head and shrugged. “I have no idea Neph,” she admitted, her attention returning almost at once to Valor’s knights as the Soulblades joined the field.
Across the battlefield she could see the Avanti archers moving to the front as they prepared for the coming charge. Closing her eyes tightly, Jala whispered a prayer to War on Valor’s behalf.
“Merrodin!” Valor bellowed and she could feel the ground shake as the warhorses thundered across the field. Her eyes opened and she watched with held breath as the Arovan cavalry closed on the Avanti. The air filled with arrows as the enemy archers loosed, but as Valor had told her his wind spell kept any from hitting the Knights.
Jala have you reached the Avanti camp yet? Jail’s voice broke through her mind and she barely registered the words as her eyes followed Valor across the field. The knights on either side of him had branched out to form a wedge formation that would break through the enemy’s lines with ease.
We are engaging them now. Where are you? Jala responded half-heartedly. The pounding in her chest increased as the knights reached the halfway point of the field.
Do not engage them! Jail bellowed in her mind as Valor’s horse faltered in its charge. Jala’s heart stopped as two more of the Arovan horses fell as the ground split open under them. A dark form rose from one of the chasms. The creature was immense in size, bigger even than Valorous and built like a wolverine. It launched itself onto the closest knight with ripping claws taking the warhorse and its rider down into the pit it had sprung from. Do not engage them! Jala, did you hear me? They have the Warrens mercenaries with them, Jala! Jail screamed in her mind.
Too late, Jala replied numbly, cutting the mental link as she frantically searched the field for Valor. She couldn’t even see a glimpse of his purple armor in the chaos. Her father was rushing forward with the militia to try to lend what help he could, but it wouldn’t be enough. A flash of purple caught her attention and her eyes locked onto what remained of Vanguard. The horse was lying too still, its body halfway into one of the tunnels. “Valor!” The scream tore from Jala’s throat and her heels were in her horse before she fully registered what she was doing.
Chaos rose on all sides as she maneuvered her frantic gelding through the crevasses and screaming horses trying desperately to reach the last place she had seen Valor. Her horse snorted and jumped to the side, nearly unseating her as the ground before her split open. Barely registering what she was doing, Jala launched a Windscythe spell into the face of the creature lunging toward her. Its skull split as the spell hit it, showering her with hot blood. The creature’s rider threw himself from the animal as it fell back into the depths, but Jala was too far past to worry about him. The militia would have to deal with the man.