‘You heard it ten weeks ago. In Avares.’
I stood up, leaving them to their debate, and peered up at the cliff where the horde was encamped so that they could look down on us like Gods. No, I reminded myself, not Gods. An audience. It felt important to remember that somehow. However many thousands of warriors there were they weren’t some grand pantheon of deities sitting in judgement of us, but an audience of spectators, sitting in the cheap seats and waiting for the final act to begin.
How many miles had they travelled just to be here? How much had it cost, how much time and labour wasted, for no better purpose than to watch Morn’s little stage play?
‘Are you really so captivated by all this?’ I shouted at them in futile frustration. ‘Or are you simply captives of your own stupid tales?’
‘Falcio?’ Brasti asked. He and Kest were staring at me. ‘Who are you yelling at?’
I shook my head. I was no better, was I? How much of my life had been shaped by the stories of Greatcoats from ages past? Were the Avareans any worse, that they lived and died by songs like the one Brasti had been whistling incessantly?
‘There,’ he said suddenly.
‘What is it?’ I asked.
He stood and came closer, staring at me. ‘You’ve got something.’
‘No, I don’t.’
He pointed at my face. ‘Yes, you do. I can see it in that stupid expression of yours.’
‘It’s not what you think,’ I said, realising he’d confused my bitter laughter for something else. ‘I’m just—’
‘No, I’d recognise that look anywhere.’
‘Leave him be,’ Kest said, coming to stand with us.
‘I will not. I know that face. Falcio’s got something.’
‘Look,’ I said, ‘I think I’d know if I had a plan.’
‘Maybe not. You’re brilliant, but not always very bright.’
‘That’s literally—’ Kest began.
‘I know, damn it, but I’m telling you, Falcio’s got something.’
‘What’s happening?’ Valiana asked, running towards us with Ethalia and Nehra close behind. ‘We heard shouting.’
‘Falcio’s got a plan,’ Brasti said.
I started to deny it again, but there was something tickling at the back of my mind, and I turned back to look up at the cliff-top again, then down at Morn’s troops encamped below. There was something there: something I could use. What was I missing?
Brasti started whistling again, even as he kept watching me.
‘What are you doing?’ I asked.
‘I was whistling when you thought of your ingenious plan,’ he replied, then went back to his tune.
‘You’ll let me know when you want me to hit him?’ Kest asked.
Now would be an excellent time, I was about to say, only at that moment the pieces finally fell into place and I reached out and grabbed Brasti by the shoulders. ‘You know, for a very dim man you’re really rather bright.’
‘See?’ he said to Kest.
‘Those two things are literally the opposite of one another.’
I ignored them and turned to Nehra. ‘Your Bardatti – how quickly can you teach them a different song?’
Nehra snorted, making it clear what she thought of my intellect. ‘I won’t have to. They wouldn’t be Bardatti if they didn’t already know all the important Tristian songs.’
I smiled. ‘Who said anything about a Tristian song?’
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
The Final Gambit
Considering just how terrible my plan was, I encountered surprisingly little resistance, perhaps because in the end the worst that could happen would be that seven people would end up dying looking rather stupid. The real argument was over who would be going.
‘Enough!’ I said when the sun peeked out over the horizon and I’d had my limit of listening to the others argue. ‘I’ve made my decision.’
Darriana looked up at me quizzically. ‘Where did you get the idea that any of us were letting you decide?’
‘It’s . . . well, technically it’s my plan,’ I said defensively.
She reached up and patted me on the head. ‘That’s nice. It’s a nice plan.’
In the end, it was agreed that Kest, Brasti and I were the most skilled and experienced at fighting together. Valiana would go because – as she so succinctly put it – whether she was Realm’s Protector or Duchess of Rijou, she outranked the rest of us. Darriana said we could choose whomever we wanted, but that she would kill one of us at random to take our spot rather than let Valiana go without her. When Ethalia arrived bearing a pair of two-foot lengths of wood, Darriana barked out a laugh and asked what good she hoped to do with those. Less than three seconds later, Darri was staring up at her from the ground, a look of total and incredulous confusion on her face.
‘I spent my life among an Order whose vocation was to bring joy and pleasure to the worst and most violent of men in the hope of changing their paths. Did you think we never trained to deal with those who instead sought to inflict their violence upon us?’ She reached down a hand and helped Darriana up. ‘Still keen to meet me in the circle one day?’
Darri grinned. ‘More than ever, Sister.’
‘Well, that’s six,’ Brasti said, ‘assuming these two don’t kill each other before we even start.’
‘Seven,’ Chalmers said, walking unsteadily towards us. Despite the injuries she’d sustained during the Scorn, she’d insisted on trying to fight on the second day of the battle. Ignoring my orders, she’d planned to ride out, but Arsehole clearly sensed something was wrong and promptly dumped her on her arse every time she’d tried to mount him.
‘Chalmers . . .’ I was determined to refuse her, but I found I couldn’t. Her courage had taken away any right I had to deny her the chance to fight for her country.
‘I’m going,’ she said, her voice strident – then her eyes fluttered closed and she dropped to the ground. Behind her was Quillata. She quickly stoppered the tiny vial in her hand before taking in a breath.
‘Grey Slumber?’ Kest asked, covering his own nose in case any of the fumes could still reach him.
Quil nodded. ‘I’ve had it since the old days – wasn’t sure it would still work.’ She looked down at Chalmers. ‘You’ve already shown yourself a hero, little one. Time to give the rest of us a chance.’
I turned to Nehra. ‘Your people are ready?’
For once she skipped over the part where she tells me I’m an idiot for asking. ‘It will be a performance not soon forgotten, First Cantor.’
I looked at Kest and Brasti, Darri and Valiana, at Ethalia, part of me wishing she’d stay behind, but the larger part of me grateful she’d be with me at the end, and finally at Quillata.
She stared back at me with a wry smile. ‘I knew you’d end up dragging me into your heroic nonsense one of these days.’