‘That’s a fucking shitload of slaves,’ Keira said. ‘I didn’t know there were that many folk living here.’

  ‘Of the twenty thousand soldiers who remain,’ Baoryn went on, ‘ten thousand are stationed to guard the Brig Pass, to blockade it and ensure no Kellach enter the occupied areas. The rest are spread throughout Kell, especially in the northern half, guarding the coal mines being dug there. That’s what it was all about. Coal.’

  ‘Twenty thousand’s still enough to break through to Brig,’ Leah said.

  Big Lynn glared at her. ‘So yer ready to believe him if ye like what he says?’

  ‘I’m prepared to admit I might have been wrong about him, if he’s not lying to us.’

  ‘Why would I lie?’ Baoryn said.

  ‘To save your life.’

  ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘but as soon as any advice I gave you proved false, you’d kill me. It’s much safer for me to tell the truth.’

  ‘Alright then, ya smartarse,’ said Keira, ‘what do ye think they’d do if we started to hit them behind the lines?’

  ‘Depends,’ he said. ‘If it was small-scale, they’d probably do nothing, just police it, treat it like crime. If it got out of control, then they could ask for reinforcements from Rahain.’

  ‘And would they get them?’ asked Leah.

  ‘I think so,’ he nodded. ‘Of course, I can’t foresee what the High Senate of Rahain would decide, but they’ve invested a considerable sum in invading and occupying Kell, and our cities need the coal.’

  Keira glanced at Big Lynn. She was still on her feet, but her fury had turned to impatience.

  ‘And what happens,’ Leah went on, ‘if we just sit here at Netherfarm and do nothing?’

  ‘As far as I know,’ Baoryn said, ‘the orders given to the garrison at the palisade wall are strictly defensive. Allow no one to enter Kell. My guess is that the Rahain would do nothing.’

  Leah smiled.

  ‘However,’ Baoryn said, ‘I can’t predict what they’ll do if they suspect a fire mage is here. Especially one who destroys an entire company of soldiers.’

  ‘What?’ Keira said. ‘So it’s back to being my fucking fault?’

  ‘We Lach would be dead if you hadn’t killed those soldiers,’ Big Lynn said, ‘but if it means they’re going to attack, then we need to be ready. The best way to prepare is to strike first, behind their lines.’

  ‘No,’ said Leah, ‘we should fortify the lines here, and make sure Keira is in the best position to defend the pass.’

  ‘Mage?’ Big Lynn said. ‘What do you think?’

  Keira said nothing for a moment, her head going over the possibilities.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she shrugged. ‘I’d rather be out fighting, hit and run, just like you said, but I’d probably be able to toast a whole load of lizards if they attacked up the pass. There would be a trail of scaly corpses sizzling from Netherfarm to Kell.’

  ‘And if you had the command,’ Big Lynn said, ‘which would you choose?’

  Keira frowned as they all gazed at her. Why was she always supposed to have the answers?

  ‘I’d take the war to them,’ she said, as Big Lynn nodded. ‘Shove it up their scaly arses.’

  Chapter 5

  The Challenger

  Netherfarm, Brig Pass – 29th Day, Last Third Spring 504

  Kalayne was wittering on about something, but Keira wasn’t listening. Her eyes were staring at Kylon, sitting on a bale of hay, his legs stretched out before him, wearing nothing but his black leather leggings. His dark hair flopped over his face and shoulders like a curtain, and her eyes were drawn to the muscles on his chest. She hated him.

  ‘Don’t think I’ve forgiven you,’ Kalayne said, wagging his finger at her, his swollen nose bandaged.

  Keira frowned, and turned to where the old man sat next to Baoryn.

  ‘Yer brain’s made of mince if ye think I give one flying fuck.’

  She turned back to Kylon, her frown increasing. She had practically thrown herself at him the previous night, when they had lain together on the straw of the upper floor, but he had turned his back to her. Bastard. He was staring down at the floor of the barn, his fingers playing with a piece of straw. He hadn’t spoken a word to her since Kalayne had raided his memories the day before, and she had given up trying to get anything out of him.

  Keira averted her eyes, gazing at a space on the ground. She hated herself for acting like a lovesick poet. She had gone through a few boyfriends before the war, but Kylon was the only one that came close to what she wanted. She had chosen him, when he had made his interest known to her, and she had never imagined that she would be the one waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to make a move. She hated him. She would win him back, then dump the bastard.

  ‘Mage, mage, mage…’ she heard, as if from another room.

  She turned. ‘What?’

  ‘So you are awake,’ Kalayne said. ‘I was starting to think you had been completely swallowed up by lust for your uncooperative boyfriend. Your stupefied manner suggested a near-comatose state.’

  ‘I can’t help it,’ she said. ‘He’s being a right prick. I blame you, fingering yer way through his mind, it’s fucked him up.’

  ‘I only showed him what his mind had been suppressing for a long time,’ Kalayne said. ‘He needed it. And he’ll get over it. Probably. Anyway, your relationship is not what I wished to discuss. I’ve been talking to our lizard friend here about certain weaknesses in the Rahain defences that you might find interesting.’

  ‘I doubt it.’

  The barn door swung open, letting in the bright sunlight of a beautiful afternoon. Keira squinted, wishing she was outside, instead of being stuck in the barn with Kalayne. She watched as her old squad approached.

  ‘So this is what you’ve been doing,’ said Bedig, grinning, ‘sitting about all day drinking?’

  ‘Easy life for some,’ Doreen smirked. ‘I see yer friends are staying?’ She nodded over to where the Lach had camped.

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, noticing that Big Lynn and Leah were missing. She turned, half-expecting Kalayne to have disappeared, but he had remained in his place on the hay-bale, frowning at her.

  ‘What ye been up to?’ Bedig said, taking a seat. Lacey poured him an ale.

  ‘Fuck all,’ Keira said, ‘sitting here scratching our arses.’

  ‘What’s been happening with you guys?’ Lacey said, handing out more ale as the squad gathered round.

  ‘Baillie dumped Bedig,’ Doreen smirked. ‘Caught him chatting up that blonde lassie from Big Lynn’s lot.’

  ‘Leah,’ Keira said.

  ‘Aye, that’s the one,’ Doreen sniggered. ‘Laddie can’t help himself.’

  ‘I fall in love too easily,’ Bedig said. ‘I love women too much, I want them all.’

  Keira laughed. ‘Did Leah succumb to yer charms?’

  ‘Nah,’ said Bedig, ‘says she’s celibate, but if she had to shag anyone, it’d be a girl.’

  ‘Is that what she told you?’

  ‘Aye.’

  ‘Fucksake, Bedig,’ Keira said, ‘folk tell you their deepest desires two minutes after they meet ye. I’ve been seeing Kylon for a year, and he still hasn’t told me the first fucking thing about his life.’

  She closed her mouth, conscious that the entire squad were listening.

  Kylon got up from where he was sitting, and strode away into the shadows under the ceiling of the upper floor. Keira scowled.

  ‘How are loyalties in the camp?’ said Kalayne.

  ‘What do you mean?’ said Bedig.

  ‘Do the warriors love Brendan, or would they follow someone else?’

  Bedig frowned.

  ‘The warriors are loyal to whoever leads,’ Doreen said.

  ‘Would they follow Keira?’ he said, his bulging eyes scanning the squad.

  ‘What?’ she said. ‘Who said fuck all about me leading? I’m unfit, remember? Don’t drag me into it.’

  ‘Just gauging the temperature,’ Kalayne said.

  ‘You’re a weird old bastard,’ said Doreen. ‘Who are ye, and who did that to yer nose?’

  ‘I’m an old friend of the mage,’ he said, leaning forward. ‘She’s a goddess.’

  The squad laughed. Keira laughed with them, then frowned. It wasn’t that funny.

  ‘He’s just an old guy that talks shite,’ she said. ‘Pay him no attention.’

  ‘On the contrary,’ he said, his eyes scanning the squad, ‘listen carefully to my words. Stay close to the mage tonight.’

  Keira frowned as many of her old squad blinked. She glanced at Baoryn, sitting huddled by the entrance to his stall. He was staring at Kalayne, his tongue flickering.

  Leah approached. Bedig looked up, trying to catch her eye.

  ‘Keira,’ she said, ignoring him. ‘Something’s going on outside you’ll want to see.’

  ‘Oh aye? What?’

  The Lach woman shrugged and walked to the entrance. She slid the doors open, letting in the noise of a rain shower, and the sounds of raised voices.

  Keira and the squad got to their feet, and followed Leah. They stopped by the entrance, keeping out of the rain. Keira gazed out into the yard, busy despite the weather. There were several heated arguments underway, and some jostling.

  ‘Hey, Kalma,’ Keira said. ‘What’s happening?’

  ‘Just a few raised tempers,’ she said, leaning against the side of the barn. ‘The Lach have been drinking.’

  ‘Typical turnip-munchers,’ smirked Doreen.

  Keira raised an eyebrow at Leah. ‘Is this what you wanted me to see?’

  Leah shook her head. ‘Just wait.’

  A space was cleared in the middle of the yard amid a group of Lach, and Big Lynn stepped up onto an overturned crate.

  ‘Warriors!’ she cried, her voice booming over the sound of the rain. Around her stood a ring of Lach, facing outwards. The others in the square fell silent, and turned to her.

  ‘Lach and Kell. Brig and Domm,’ she cried. ‘I speak to you all. Your leaders are betraying you. You think you’re safe, hiding behind your drystane dyke, but the lizards could smash through Netherfarm any time they felt like it.’ She paused as the wet warriors stared at her. ‘Our best security lies,’ she went on, ‘in taking the fight to the enemy. The refugees in Domm will never be safe while the lizard garrison stands poised at any moment to re-invade. We should be keeping them on the back foot, forcing them to react to the strikes of a dozen separate warbands, spread throughout Kell.’ Her voice began to rise. ‘Instead of sitting here like idiots, waiting for the lizards to attack, we should be hitting them hard, their supplies, their camps, their coal mines.’

  There were some cheers, but only from the Lach. Many among the others were listening in silence, some shaking their heads.

  ‘Shut up, you ignorant Lach cow!’ cried a voice.

  The noise in the yard increased.

  Big Lynn gestured to where Keira stood. ‘The Mage of Pyre also believes this is the correct course of action.’

  Heads turned to Keira, their eyes wide.

  ‘Fuck,’ she muttered.

  ‘With the hero of Marchside leading the attacks,’ Big Lynn said, ‘we’ll burn the lizards out of Kell, and the refugees will truly be safe.’

  ‘Yer talking out yer arse,’ a voice yelled.

  Big Lynn raised her chin. ‘Brendan of Brig is a coward,’ she cried, ‘and his leadership will bring us to ruin. I challenge him.’

  The yard erupted into a cacophony of shouting. Punches were thrown, and the ring of warriors shielding Big Lynn was pushed inwards.

  ‘Pyre’s bawsack,’ Keira said. ‘What the fuck’s she doing?’

  Leah frowned at her.

  ‘She thinks she’s carrying out your wishes.’

  Keira swallowed. She turned back to stare at the crowd in the yard. The voices fell silent as a path was cleared to the farmhouse doors. Brendan emerged, flanked by his guards, and they strode towards where Big Lynn stood.

  ‘Big Lynn,’ said the commander, raindrops sliding down his face. ‘I have been waiting inside all day. You said you would come and meet with me, and instead I find you out here, insulting me and undermining my command. What is your complaint? We have discussed strategy, and I explained to you that I’m under the orders of the council. If you disagree with our tactics, take your case to them.’

  ‘Did you not hear me, coward?’ Big Lynn cried. ‘I challenge you.’

  Brendan smiled and shook his head. ‘I’m not a village chief. I was appointed by the ruling council in Domm. You can’t challenge me. If you raise arms against me, I’ll have you arrested and executed.’

  Big Lynn stared at him.

  ‘Now,’ Brendan said, ‘if you’re willing to come inside and talk reasonably?’

  The Lach woman’s eyes darted over to where Keira and Leah stood. Around the edges of the yard, warriors were moving.

  Big Lynn folded her arms. ‘I have nothing more to say to a coward.’

  Brendan shrugged, and nodded to one of his officers, who blew a whistle. Crossbows thrummed, and bolts shot out from several directions. Big Lynn was struck twice in the back, and once through her left eye-socket. Without a sound from her lips, she fell into the ankle-deep mud of the yard. Someone screamed, and the yard descended into chaos. A few Lach were attacked by Brig and Domm warriors, while others fled. A large group, led by an officer, approached the barn.

  The warriors pushed Keira’s old squad aside, and the officer pointed at Leah. A warrior raised her crossbow, and Keira stepped in front of the Lach woman, backing into the barn.

  ‘Stay out of it, mage,’ the officer said, as his warriors fanned out into the barn’s interior. Several ran to where the Lach had camped. Keira backed Leah over to the stalls, where Kalayne was sitting on a hay-bale, watching.

  ‘Now would be a good time to help, old man,’ Keira muttered to him.

  ‘Eh?’ he said.

  Keira heard the noise of crossbows going off to her right. On the ground by the back wall, the two Lach captains lay dead.

  ‘Fucksake, ya maniacs,’ Keira cried, shoving Leah into an empty stall. ‘We’re all on the same side.’

  ‘Step aside, mage,’ the officer said, a crossbow team flanking him. ‘We only want Big Lynn’s captains. She’s the last of them.’

  ‘Hey, boss, check this out,’ one of the warriors said, peering into the stall where the Rahain captives were cowering. ‘Lizards.’

  The officer frowned, and squinted over. ‘What? Kill them.’

  Two warriors peeled off from the others, and stood by the entrance to the stall, aiming their crossbows in. As they loosed their first bolts, a cry of rage rang through the barn, and Kylon emerged from the shadows, a spear in his hands. Most of the warriors turned, but one remained steady, continuing to shoot into the stall. Kylon raised his arm, and the spear flew through the air, striking the warrior in his side.

  At that moment, there was a noise from the barn’s entrance, and Keira glanced over to see her old squad run in.

  ‘Drop your weapons,’ Doreen cried, aiming her crossbow at the officer.

  ‘Are you rebelling against Brendan?’ the officer cried, his hands rising into the air. He stared at Keira, as the old squad surrounded the group of warriors. ‘‘Think this through,’ he said. ‘Give me the Lach captain, and you will all live.’

  Kylon walked up to the entrance of the captives’ stall. Without a word, he pulled the spear from the side of the dead warrior, turned, and plunged it through the officer’s chest.

  Keira stared at him.

  ‘They’re dead,’ he said.

  ‘Not Baoryn,’ said Kalayne from the hay-bale. ‘I’ve hidden him safely away. I think he might be useful.’

  Kylon choked back a sob.

  Kalayne stood, and put his hand on Kylon’s shoulder.

  ‘Come on lad,’ he said. ‘I think we should go. We have a lot to discuss.’

  Kylon looked at him. ‘What about the mess here?’

  Kalayne shrugged. ‘Keira’s got it under control.’

  He waved his hand at the assembled group of staring warriors, and their eyes hazed over for a second. When Keira looked back, Kylon and the old man had gone. Keira glanced at the others. Her squad were surrounding the half-dozen warriors, who were clustered around the body of the dead officer, their hands raised. No one seemed to remember the old man, or what had happened.

  ‘Into that stall, all of ye,’ Doreen yelled at the warriors, pointing into an empty booth. She glanced at Keira. ‘What now, boss?’

  Before Keira could think of anything to say, Kalma appeared at the entrance to the barn. She peered in, her eyes drawn to the three bodies lying on the ground. She shrugged at Keira, slid the doors shut, and barred them.

  ‘Shit,’ said Bedig, ‘are we rebels now?’

  Leah emerged from the stall. ‘Thanks, mage,’ she said, her eyes red. She glanced over at the two dead Lach captains lying by their makeshift camp.

  ‘Well, this is a delightful bucket of shite,’ said Doreen. ‘Why the fuck did Big Lynn have to go off like that? She could have just slipped away in the middle of the night if she wanted to go out raiding. Fucking madness.’

  Leah glared at her. ‘She thought she was doing the right thing,’ she said. ‘She thought she was doing what Keira wanted.’

  ‘I didn’t ask her to do anything,’ Keira said, ‘don’t fucking pass this onto me.’

  Leah’s mouth opened. ‘You really have no idea how folk see you? You’re a fucking Mage of Pyre, maybe the only one left. Big Lynn believed in you.’ She laughed, and gestured towards the squad. ‘And just look at these stupid bastards. They ran in here to help you, even though they’re not under your command any more. And now Brendan will probably have them executed, unless, you know, you actually stop fucking around.’

  Keira scowled. ‘I’ve never asked anyone to stick their neck out for me. If folk are crazy enough to listen to anything I say, that’s their fucking problem.’ There was a long peal of thunder, and the sound of heavy raindrops echoed off the barn roof.

  There was a loud thump at the door. Keira turned.

 

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