Chapter 33

33

The attack you've prepared to defend against is never the main assault.

~ Lord General Avingatar

On the journey back through the mountains, Kaylina rode Levitke as numerous blue-furred and silver-furred taybarri loped beside and behind them. Surprisingly, the female who'd spoken the most to them—who'd tested them—was allowing Vlerion to ride her.

They'd traveled through the night, the taybarri fortunately more rested than Kaylina, and were heading toward the highway as dawn neared, the sky clear. Occasionally, through gaps in the trees, they glimpsed the Strait of Torn Towers in the distance. More than once, they also glimpsed smoke, far more than would have come from fireplaces.

"Do we have a plan for when we reach the city?" Kaylina asked Vlerion. About two dozen taybarri accompanied them, but she didn't know if that would be enough to turn the tides if a full-scale invasion had come to Port Jirador. Though the elders weren't having any trouble keeping up on the journey, they'd said they were past their fighting days. "In case those thousands of Kar'ruk warriors I saw in the vision are already there?"

"You said that horde entered through the valley with the small encampment, right?"

When she'd explained her visions, Vlerion hadn't shown skepticism about whether they would come to pass. He now believed she had the power of the druids in her veins and could access the various magics of altered plants. Kaylina almost wished he would doubt the visions. He'd taken that one about the castle wanting him dead too close to heart for her preferences.

"Yes. And the females slathered them with the altered lithop powder to turn them invisible. I'm hoping that what you destroyed will force them to alter their plans, but I wouldn't assume they'd turn around and go home."

"Destroyed?"

"You—the beast—dumped out their vat of invisibility powder."

Vlerion cocked his head.

"You don't remember that?"

"As I've told you—" Vlerion glanced at the surrounding taybarri and lowered his voice, even though they all knew his secret, "—what happens when I'm in that form… is vague to me later. Patchy and fuzzy like a dream."

"Well, the beast had the wherewithal to not only use their powder on himself but to dump their big container of it in a pond."

"Huh."

"The beast is kind of clever."

Vlerion eyed her at this assessment, maybe offended that she'd never called him clever. But all he said was, "Let us hope that was a substantial portion of their stash. The diplomatic party wouldn't have been searched, and they may have carried more into the city. It's likely they did."

"Yeah."

"When the army sees the bodies in the valley, they will know they've lost their advantage. They will suspect their plans have been reported to the rangers and the king."

"So they will go home?"

"Or they'll try something else." As they crested a ridge providing a view of the farms and estates north of the city, Vlerion pointed toward smoke hanging in the valleys between some of them.

"Someone is setting a lot of fires."

"Yes." His gaze shifted farther north. Toward Havartaft Estate? He had to be wondering if his mother was all right. "Our vineyards and farmlands wouldn't be as crucial for them to claim—or destroy—as the port, the bridges over the river, and the city itself, but the king would send—may already have sent—rangers out to defend them."

"Leaving fewer people to defend the city?" Kaylina asked.

"And stop whatever the diplomatic party is really up to, yes."

"Was there any trouble happening yet when you left?"

"No. Let's hope we'll arrive in time to help." Vlerion looked toward the smoke again before the herd descended from the ridge. "The taybarri gave me these to bring." He dipped into a pouch and held up some of the dried berries they'd eaten.

Kaylina curled a lip at the memory of their test.

"You'll recall Seerathi said they may allow one to see those painted with the altered lithop." Vlerion pointed to the back of the female taybarri's head. Was that her name? Seerathi? She hadn't given it to Kaylina. "There aren't many berries," he continued, "but if I can find Targon and get some to the rangers and the best warriors among the Kingdom and Castle Guards, it may help."

"As long as it doesn't make all those expert blade-wielders run around the city, slashing their swords at hallucinations."

"If they have hallucinations similar to the ones we had," Vlerion said, "I doubt they'll be slashing with their swords. Thrusting, perhaps."

Kaylina wrinkled her nose at his joke. "Nobody wants to see that either, and the Kar'ruk would laugh."

"I assume that our hallucination was manipulated by the taybarri." Vlerion waved toward Seerathi again.

We will speak with the diplomatic party and your monarch, she told them without commenting on the rest. With luck, the joke about thrusting swords hadn't registered to her.

"Will that stop the invasion?" Kaylina asked.

We will see. The female glanced at her. If the threat is eliminated, young Levitke has promised you will serve us a food called honey drops.

Levitke must have heard the telepathic comment because her gait developed a sashay, and she swished her tail, looking pleased with herself.

"It's not my castle, despite the lease, but, yes, I would be happy to make those for you."

"The real reason they're helping us." Vlerion smiled at her. "Seerathi must have enjoyed the honey you gave her." He patted the female's shoulder.

The elder didn't sashay, but her tail might have swished a few times. Her tongue definitely slipped out to lick her blue lips.

Maybe the druid honey was the reason the taybarri had been swayed to help. Kaylina vowed to collect more once the preserve wasn't full of Kar'ruk—and the Kingdom Guard wasn't hunting her.

As the sun crept over the mountains, the tireless taybarri loped along the highway, reaching the watchtower where the ranger had been killed. The dead crag cougars remained, disturbed only by carrion birds, but the Kar'ruk body was gone. Maybe his people had taken it, intending to bury it in the catacombs if they retook them.

"Not going to happen," Kaylina whispered.

The highway descended into the foothills where tree cover was sparser, and they could see Port Jirador for the first time. Even more fires burned within its walls than across the countryside.

In Kaylina's vision, the Kar'ruk had razed the entire city. It didn't look like that had happened yet, but a number of buildings burned, the flames high enough to view over the walls. Billowing smoke hazed the harbor and the royal castle on its plateau, making it hard to see how much had been destroyed.

They couldn't hear the booms of cannons or cracks of firearms, and Kaylina shifted on Levitke's back, worrying they might have arrived too late. What if everyone inside was already dead?

Vlerion leaned forward, as if he might urge the taybarri to run faster, but they'd already traveled all night. The taybarri probably needed a rest, not to sprint the last few miles into a battle.

Even so, they didn't suggest slowing down. Some even roared as they passed the preserve and followed the river toward the gates. They roared several times.

At first, Kaylina assumed they were battle cries. Then an uncertain answering roar came from the city, one of the ranger mounts. She realized the taybarri were communicating with each other. A few more roars came from different parts of the city.

"At least somebody is still alive." Vlerion chewed on a couple of the berries, then leaned close enough to hand a few to Kaylina. "Your sling work will be more accurate if you can see your targets."

"I've heard that does help." She made herself chomp down the chalky berries, honored that he'd given her some after he'd spoken of distributing the few handfuls he had to the best rangers and warriors.

The gates to the city stood open—had been forced open—with bodies around them, mostly gray-uniformed guards. A Kar'ruk lay among the dead. Had an order from his superiors prompted him to give his life to ensure the gates were open when the Kar'ruk army arrived?

Kaylina looked around for signs of that army as the taybarri took them into Port Jirador, the hazy air pungent from the smoke.

The city was quiet, save for the snapping and cracking of wood in fires. Along the streets, doors to buildings were shut, windows shuttered. Here and there, more bodies lay on the blood-spattered cobblestones, some human, some Kar'ruk. There weren't as many dead as Kaylina would have expected if an entire army had arrived, but there were enough to be distressing. Even one would have been distressing.

"I haven't seen any rangers yet," Vlerion said so softly she barely heard him.

Hand on the hilt of his sword, he gazed around the city, his eyes probing the smokey alleys and doorways.

"They might all be in the castle. If they believed they'd have to defend the king and queen, it might make sense." When she said the word queen, Kaylina remembered that she was a wanted woman. They hadn't yet seen any living guards, and maybe people would be too distracted to remember, but she hoped she hadn't made a mistake in coming through the gate with Vlerion. Glad she still had her cloak, she tugged the hood over her head. "Where would the diplomatic party have been housed?"

"The last I heard, they were being taken to the royal castle. That's customary."

Kaylina groaned. The Virts had been after the king and queen. If the Kar'ruk were working with them, part of the deal might be that they help get rid of the monarchs.

"We're heading there," Vlerion said.

A window shutter creaked, the sound startling in the stillness, the taybarri paws much quieter on the cobblestones than horse hooves. It opened a few inches, and a woman with a sooty face peered out. She didn't call out to them; she just watched them.

The herd of taybarri passing through with only a couple of riders had to look peculiar. A few other doors opened partway, people inside also watching.

At least everyone hadn't been killed. Kaylina thought Vlerion might pause to question someone, but the taybarri didn't slow down, and she didn't know if he could have stopped the herd if he wanted. They loped over a bridge spanning a canal, then down the boulevard that passed Stillguard Castle.

From blocks away, the purple glow from its tower was visible, even in daylight. Kaylina didn't expect to spot many bodies near the castle. After all, even during normal days, it didn't get many visitors. To her surprise, numerous armored Kar'ruk lay dead in the street outside the courtyard wall.

One Kar'ruk wasn't quite dead and lifted his head at the sound of taybarri claws clacking on the cobblestones.

A purple beam shot out of the tower window, startling Kaylina. It burned into the head of the Kar'ruk, causing a final jerk and groan before he slumped down. Fully dead?

Kaylina swallowed as Vlerion's gaze shifted toward the tower.

"I… didn't think the plant could do that. Or had the power to kill that way." She'd assumed the vines were its only method of attacking and that someone had to be on the castle grounds for them to reach.

"Maybe you've given it that power," Vlerion said.

"The honey water is supposed to be a fertilizer, but it doesn't have that many nutrients."

Besides, what kind of nutrients could make a plant capable of shooting deadly beams?

The druids were an extremely powerful people, Seerathi spoke into their minds. The sentinel protects its grounds from enemies.

"No kidding," Kaylina murmured, recognizing the word the plant had used for itself.

The taybarri passed on the far side of the street from the castle, maybe worried that they too would be targeted. Hopefully not with Kaylina riding among them. After all, the plant had marked her and wanted her alive.

When she glanced at her hand, she thought she glimpsed the brand glowing green, as it had in the vision, but when she blinked, the glow was gone. Maybe it had been her imagination.

The first sounds of battle drifted to their ears. They came from the plateau and the royal castle.

Seerathi roared in that direction as the herd crossed a final bridge. Young taybarri are up there.

"Rangers should be up there too," Vlerion said. "Defending the king and queen."

None opposed them as the herd traveled up the road to the plateau. At the top, the portcullis at the gate was not only down but blocked on the far side. By furniture? Crates? Doors? Maybe all. The jumble of wood denied view of the courtyard on the other side.

Outside the walls, uniformed guards crouched behind shields and hastily erected barricades. Using bows and crossbows, they fired at the top of the crenellated walls. The rangers and their taybarri had to be in the courtyard or the castle, but why wouldn't they unblock the gate to let help in?

Kaylina didn't see anyone on the walls and wondered what the men were shooting at.

Two guards with ropes ran forward, swinging grappling hooks upward to catch them on crenelations. As the men started climbing, swords belted at their waists bumping against the stone wall, the archers covered them, shooting arrows through the empty air above.

It was a confusing sight until two horned Kar'ruk heads poked into view, their outlines blurry and wavering but visible. At least to Kaylina. The archers, she realized, couldn't see them and were guessing where their enemies might appear.

Shields toward the archers and axes raised, the Kar'ruk advanced on the climbers.

"Look out!" Vlerion barked.

One Kar'ruk lifted an axe to cut a rope. The other raised a ranged weapon that looked like a mix of a blunderbuss and a crossbow. Both wore the hide tabards of the diplomatic party.

"Some diplomats." Sling already loaded, Kaylina took aim.

The Kar'ruk with the axe succeeded in cutting the rope as the climbers glanced back at Vlerion's warning. The blade sliced through, and one man fell.

Kaylina's round struck the other Kar'ruk in the hand before he shot his firearm, and he jerked back. Unfortunately, he didn't drop the weapon. Scowling, he swung it toward Kaylina.

She hurried to load another round. But Vlerion had a knife, and he hurled it at the Kar'ruk. Thanks to the berries, he could also see the foe, and he struck with accuracy, the blade landing in the invader's throat. The ranged weapon fell from the Kar'ruk's grip a moment before he tumbled off the wall. He hit the ground next to the climber, who'd managed to land on his feet. The man cursed and leaped back, probably close enough now to see through the camouflaging powder.

"Thank you," Kaylina said to Vlerion, shifting her aim to the remaining Kar'ruk on the wall.

The invader was ready this time and ducked. Her round whistled past his horn, disappearing into the courtyard.

"Cover me," Vlerion told her.

"Okay." Later, Kaylina would remind him that she didn't love taking orders from people, but this wasn't the time.

Vlerion leaped from the taybarri's back and sprinted toward the remaining rope dangling from its hook. The climber had jumped down when his comrade fell.

After a glance back at Kaylina, Vlerion skimmed up the rope. The remaining axe-wielder sprang into view again, ready to cut it.

Kaylina hurled a round. Behind the barricade, the archers also loosed arrows. Even though they couldn't see the warrior, they could guess where he was. Not only the sling round but two arrows caught the Kar'ruk in the chest. Under the assault, he staggered, but he clenched his jaw with determination and swung downward with the axe.

Kaylina swore as it cut through the rope, but Vlerion lunged, catching the wall before it gave way. As he pulled himself up, the wounded Kar'ruk hefted his blade to aim for his head. Kaylina loosed another round. It caught the warrior in the ear, making him hesitate for a split second.

That was all Vlerion needed. He rolled onto the wall, springing to his feet with his sword in hand.

The cracks of firearms rang out from inside the courtyard. Since the rangers usually stuck to swords and bows, Kaylina worried those weapons belonged to more enemies, enemies who might be aiming at Vlerion as he faced off against the Kar'ruk on the wall.

"We need to get inside," Kaylina called to the taybarri, the guards, or anyone who would listen.

"We've been trying ," one of the guards growled. "They blocked the gate before we knew there was trouble inside, and they keep shooting down our climbers."

"Where are the rangers?"

"Some were inside when this all started, but most got called out to the countryside. The Gavatorin estate was attacked and started burning in the middle of the night, and King Gavatorin ordered a bunch of men out to defend it, even though Captain Targon objected. Everyone objected."

"We all saw this coming," another guard growled. "As soon as those phony diplomats arrived."

Clangs rang out on the wall, axe and sword meeting as Vlerion battled the Kar'ruk.

Kaylina lifted her sling in case she got an opportunity to help, but Levitke startled her by surging toward the portcullis. Kaylina grasped a handful of fur to keep from losing her balance. Around her, other taybarri also rushed for the gate, some roaring a battle cry.

But with the sturdy portcullis closed, the only way inside was by climbing the high wall. Or so Kaylina thought. Several of the taybarri wrapped their jaws around the iron bars. Muscles flexed under Kaylina as Levitke pulled. They all pulled.

Iron wrenched and whined.

"Keep them covered!" an archer shouted, the men again loosing arrows.

More blades clanged in the courtyard. Vlerion must have jumped down—and found more enemies.

The iron bars didn't bend under the taybarri assault, but stone and mortar gave. Wood and chains snapped, and the taybarri backed up, pulling the now-detached portcullis with them.

More taybarri surged past Levitke, battering at the obstacles that had been pushed in front of the portcullis to hide the courtyard from view. They made short work of them, butting with their heads and shoulders to shove crates and furniture aside.

As soon as the way was clear, Levitke flashed to get past her fellow taybarri and into the courtyard first. The lurch surprised Kaylina, but she still had a grip on Levitke's fur.

They appeared in the open courtyard amid numerous castle guards lying on the ground. Dead, Kaylina assumed at first, but one lifted his head, eyes bleary, as if he couldn't keep them open. Were these people… asleep?

Shards of ceramic and glass littered the courtyard. Someone had thrown containers around. Containers filled with a concoction that could knock people unconscious?

On the far side of the courtyard, double doors stood open, one ripped half off its hinges.

Kaylina had been that way before and knew it led toward the royal quarters and other important areas of the castle. Bangs, clanks, and clangs rang out from within, promising fighting was going on inside. The rangers? A few taybarri roars came from the wide hall beyond the doors.

Silence fell in the courtyard as Vlerion finished off a Kar'ruk he'd been battling. There weren't as many invaders around the courtyard as Kaylina had expected. Only two, one that Vlerion had killed, and another that the taybarri had trampled.

As with the Kar'ruk on the wall, the ones inside wore hide tabards. The dead in the city had been protected by chainmail, like the Kar'ruk in the preserve. Maybe their duty, like their allies lighting fire to the countryside, had been to distract the guard and rangers while the diplomats attacked from within the castle.

Sword bloody, Vlerion nodded toward Kaylina, then ran for the open doors. Kaylina started after him, but he halted abruptly. Kaylina raised her sling.

Vlerion backed up instead of continuing inside. He kept his sword raised, squinting into the hallway at shadows that stirred.

Numerous blurry Kar'ruk in tabards, their forms hard to see, thanks to the silvery powder, walked out. Among them were the females who'd been riding in the litter.

They'd been disarmed, and the reason soon became clear as Captain Targon, Jankarr, and three other rangers strode out behind them, bows and swords pointed at the Kar'ruk backs. Five taybarri with their heads up and tails swishing also followed. They looked proud of themselves, like they'd been instrumental in capturing the Kar'ruk. Given how hard it was to see the camouflaged invaders, they probably had been. Unlike humans, they had other strong senses to rely upon.

"You're late, Vlerion," Targon snapped when their gazes met.

With a gash on his forehead dripping blood into his eyes, the captain looked crabbier than ever. Many of the rangers had wounds.

"We were collecting allies and, with luck, deterring an army," Vlerion said.

" Another one?" Targon waved toward the walls, maybe indicating the estates besieged outside of the city.

"They're proliferating this spring."

Kaylina didn't know for certain that they'd deterred the army she'd only seen in her vision, but she did suspect that if that many Kar'ruk had shown up, the city would have been razed by now. The diplomatic party might have been expecting a lot more backup to arrive. Kaylina shuddered, glad it hadn't.

"This year is off to a dreadful start." Targon's sour expression turned toward Kaylina. "You learn how to be respectful yet, Korbian?"

Before Kaylina could decide on an answer, several beleaguered guards jogged out of a doorway, their bloodstained uniforms and begrimed weapons promising they'd also seen battle. One noticed Kaylina and jerked to a stop. He pointed at her and whispered to his comrades.

She tensed, afraid she would have to again flee the castle. Intense weariness weighed down on her at the thought of spending another week in the countryside, hiding from the authorities. She'd helped the kingdom. Again . Couldn't these people pardon her?

"Stand down, Sergeant," Vlerion said coolly, stepping close to Kaylina.

He'd also noticed the guards and their reaction to her.

"Lord Vlerion, that girl is?—"

"An ally to the kingdom and a ranger in training."

The guard shook his head, but before he could say anything else, the elder taybarri female who'd been communicating with them all along padded into the center of the courtyard and lifted her head. I am Queen Seerathi, representing the taybarri of the Northern Tribes, and I have come to speak to the rulers of the Zaldor Kingdom. She looked toward the captured diplomatic party. I will also address the representatives of the Kar'ruk Confederation.