The Heartstone (31 page)

“I’ll figure you out. I haven’t come this far to turn back now.” She said. The sun was lower in the sky. She’d stood there mesmerized by the Gate longer than she’d realized. Vaeryn would be waiting and he’d be furious. She hurried down the trail to the common. Jarod was pacing, Caroc looked anxious and concerned but Vaeryn was composed yet pale.
“Where were you?” Jarod came over gripping her arms. “We looked everywhere.”

“I went for a walk. Let go.” Ariana said.

“For three hours?” He said.

“If I want to go for a walk I will.” She said.

“Still you should have told me. It’s dangerous, Rhysin’s men could have sent out a scouting party.” Jarod said.

“Jarod leave her alone.” Vaeryn said. He looked at her strangely. She wondered if he knew where she’d been.

Jarod subsided. Ariana could tell he was still upset. “I didn’t mean to worry you.” She went to kiss his cheek. He drew back. “I have to go.” He said stiffly. “I will see you later Stonebearer.” She winced. He turned away.

“Well I messed that up didn’t I?” Ariana watched him go.

“He’ll come around.” Caroc said.

Ariana sighed. Caroc left. She was alone with Vaeryn. He looked at her. She remained silent. He looked suspicious but said nothing. They went to the Sage’s hall. She had no concentration. Finally he waved her away.

“Go ahead; come to me when you can concentrate.” He said.

She hurried off to find Jarod. He was watching the drills. His face was intent and stern as he looked over the horsemen. He didn’t look at her. She walked up beside him. He ignored her. She saw the rise of his chest as he sighed. She stood looking out over the practice field. She found his hand. It was still. Her heart thundered. His hand squeezed hers. She looked up. He smiled. Her heart lifted. With a quick farewell squeeze she went back to her lessons.

She kept her visit to the Gate a secret. She wanted a free hand. For the next few days she studied the gate, careful not to let it mesmerize her again. She almost discerned a pattern in the carvings at different times. The answer was right there. She just couldn’t figure it out. Frustration made her want to howl. She was running out of time.

It was the slightest of moth touches on her hair but it woke Ariana up. She smelled her mother’s perfume. Julia’s insistent voice whispered in her ears. Ariana’s eyes shot open. This had happened before. For a minute she was dizzy, disoriented. Was she dreaming? Reliving her mother’s memories of the raid that changed her life? She looked around expecting to see the chamber from that long ago vision. What had woken her? The Heartstone blazed at her chest. A sense of danger throbbed through her. Jumping out of bed, slamming open the door, she yelled a warning.

Sudden war yells and shouts sounded outside. Men ran from their rooms cursing and rubbing sleep out of their eyes. Jarod leapt naked out of bed grabbed his sword and pounded outside. Ariana threw on her clothes. Howling in fury the clans swarmed out to attack. A raiding party thundered across the plateau. They carried torches and flames licked at the thatched roofs of the paddocks and the bright pennants.

“Stay behind me,” Jarod ordered. His borrowed sword was ready in his hand and he looked eager for the fight. The red firelight gleamed on his naked torso. Ariana’s sweaty hand clenched her dagger. Suddenly a black swathed horseman thundered past, steel swiped down at her. Jarod shoved her out of the way. She rolled. The blow missed. The horseman was thrown off balance. Jarod dragged him from the horse and stabbed him.

The man died with a stunned look on his face. Jarod turned to find her. He was covered in blood. He smiled at her teeth white in a sooty face. She smiled shakily back trying not to look at the body at their feet. He turned back to fight.

One man leapt at a raider with nothing but a knife. The rider slashed him. He lay still. It was chaos. A few men paused to grab their bows. Soon arrows were whizzing through the air dropping the enemy. One of the raiders tossed something contemptuously from his saddle into the common.

“Give us the woman or die.” He shouted. The raider’s raced for the gate.

It was the head of a Fireray scout. There was an anguished howl. Arrows hissed in the firelight. The rest of Rhysin’s men dropped pin cushioned with arrows. Fierce satisfaction filled Ariana as they fall. Men ran to put out the fires and check the horses. Caroc and the Dubhray went to find out how the raiders had gotten through the defenses.

In a few minutes they came back. Behind them they had the other scout’s body as well as the bodies of the guards. Caroc walked to the center of the Common and bowed to Lyon. There was no sound except the crackling of flames.

“Report,” Lyon’s voice was husky.

“Sunlord, I Caroc of the Dubhray grieve to report the loss of Everd and his partner Deir, both scouts of the Fireray. Also lost were, Tamir, Huw, and Conn all of the Banray. The gates are secured and the enemy rebuffed.” He bowed his head.

“My thanks to you,” Lyon said. “Vaeryn, will you commit their bodies to the Sunlord.”

“It shall be so.” Vaeryn said. The bodies were taken to the common. Brush was set up in a great mound around them. Lyon lit the pyre. “You will be avenged.” He vowed.

Vaeryn stepped forward, “Return now to the great Lyw and come again to grace our herds.” The other sages lifted their arms. The fire blazed white-hot. Ariana looked away. Tears brimmed over and she hid her face. When she looked back the fire and the bodies were gone. Men cried. Lyon looked like he’d aged ten years. Patrols were set up.

“Go back to your beds. Try to rest.” Lyon said. Everyone scattered back to his or her rooms. Silently Ariana and Jarod returned to their chamber. Quickly he undressed and got under the covers turning to the wall. Ariana sat on the other side. She sat vacantly staring. After a few minutes she remembered what she was doing. Slowly with clumsy fingers she started undressing. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Tremors racked her. If she hadn’t woken up they’d all be dead in their beds. She was so cold.

Jarod rolled over towards her propped up on one elbow. She glanced over her shoulder at him. He opened his arms. She fled into the safety of his embrace. His warmth and concern enfolded her. She collapsed against him. His hands stroked her back.

“I’m so cold.” She said.
“Shh, you’re alright.” He kissed her brow.

“If I hadn’t woken up…” she said.

“But you did. Never think of what could have happened.”

“How can you be so calm?” She said. Jarod rolled over and looked at the ceiling. “I killed my first man when I was fifteen.”

“Oh god,” She said. He looked at her gravely. “You never get used to it. But it’s either him or you.” He looked at her. “We survived. That’s what matters.”

Ariana nodded. They held each other tight. After awhile Jarod slept fitfully, arms protective around her. She looked at his face so close to her. What would she do if she lost him? If she hadn’t woken up: if she hadn’t had that dream: if her mother’s ghost hadn’t warned her, they would all be dead. She looked up at the sky. “Thank you.” She mouthed silently. Comforted she dozed off.

The next day Rhysin’s forces carpeted the desert like ants. The crimson and black flags were everywhere. She stood next to Jarod looking down at the enemy. Menace oozed from the central tent. The massive army ranged at the base of the mountains filled her with fear. Now she realized why Rhysin could be so cocky, sending in the suicide raiders. He had done it to show his contempt for them. He wanted them off balance and afraid. It worked. She felt sick to her stomach. Jarod was pale reliving his ordeal at their hands. She put her arm around his waist. He drew her to him in a quick hug.

Lyon nodded at Caroc and Tareg and sent the first forces out. The first skirmish was to harry the enemy. Staying carefully out of bow range the scouts drew a squadron into pursuit to a dead-end ravine at the base of the mountain where waiting archers made short work of the enemy. The scouts kept this up but shortly the commanders caught on and held their soldiers back. Behind the soldiers was the menace of Rhysin’s magic weakening the clans.

Ariana felt it. She caught Vaeryn’s eye and went to stand with the sages. Quickly they formed a circle. They closed their eyes. Immediately Ariana felt the collective sorrow and rage of the sages flicker into flaming life and merge into a pillar of golden fire. The power built. Just when she felt desperate for release Vaeryn took the fire and sent it out toward the enemy. Ariana’s eyes flew open and she watched as the bolt struck the front row of tents. Soldiers scattered as tents burst into flames. The clans cheered.

Instantly red fire shot toward the clans. Ariana sent out the Heartstone’s energy in a blue barrier. The sages added their fire and repulsed the red bolt. Again and again the sages and Rhysin flamed each other as the morning waned. The sun was high when Vaeryn called a halt. His hair was matted to his scalp with sweat; the others didn’t look much better. Ariana with the Heartstone’s aid was tired but not exhausted like the others. They needed a rest or they’d burn out. It wasn’t enough. At that moment, Tareg came over for a whispered consultation with Vaeryn.

Rhysin’s forces outnumbered the Horse Clans four to one. His army threw itself at the main path to the plateau overwhelming the clans with sheer numbers. The clans had strategically retreated up the mountain. Rhysin’s forces had gained the first gate but the clans had a surprise in store for them.

Part of the force led by Jarod hid in the brush on either side of the path. The other led by Caroc waited for Jarod’s signal. The sages waited above for their part in the ambush. Jarod went down the hill to join his forces. Ariana had to follow him, to protect him with her magic if she could.

She snuck down the path. Slipping behind a few of the female scouts she pulled her small sword from its sheath. This was it. She’d stay here and help with her magic. She wasn’t tired. She needed to fight. She was going to strike back at the people who’d killed Cerynus and tortured Jarod. Closer the crimson and black uniforms came. Sweat trickled down her shoulder blades as they waited for the signal. Suddenly everyone screeched and leapt forward. Ariana meant to stay under cover. But swept up in the excitement she rushed down the hill like an avenging harpy.

“This is for Cerynus,” she howled.

Clutching her sword like a baton swinging it wildly in front of her she plunged forward. In the midst of battle there was confusion, noise and the iron taste of fear. A sword swiped at her. The man facing her was large slow on his feet. Screaming she rolled through his legs, stabbing up blindly. Blood gushed over her. She kept moving as he thundered to the ground. For a moment the battle stopped around her.

She stared at the body. She’d killed him. Vomit rose in her throat. She retched. There was nothing in her stomach but she couldn’t stop. A blade whistled through the air. She ducked. The blade stuck in the dirt. Panicked she leapt up kicking at the soldier to distract him and escape. He sliced at her with his dagger. She jumped out of the way and scrambled out of reach on hands and knees.

There was a savage yell and her attacker was gone in a fountain of blood. Something shoved her and she was face to face with the corpse. She stared at the man she’d killed. Greasy black hair and a thick moustache he lay slack on the bloody ground. Bile rose in her dry throat. A hand grabbed her arm. She whirled sword raised to strike. It was Jarod. He was covered in blood. His hair was matted in gore. His eyes and teeth flashed bright in his blackened face.

“What are you doing? Get out of here!” He said. Taking her by the arm he shoved her back up the hill. She stumbled away as he covered her retreat. Her heart thundered in her ears yellow and black spots danced in front of her eyes. The air was filled with battle cries and the screams of the wounded and dying. There was only blood and pain and death. She reached the cover on the switchback. She lay there with grit in her mouth and dead leaves shielding her trying to conquer her panic. For a moment there was a lull in the battle.

A few yards down the hill one of the Fireray scouts lay dead, auburn hair sticky with blood. She’d been a laughing girl who loved dancing; Ariana couldn’t remember her name. She knelt pushing the girl’s hair back. Ariana’s eyes were dry and stinging. The girl deserved tears. Rhysin’s soldiers came marching up into the valley. As the last of Rhysin’s men came around the bend, Jarod waved a pennant. The clans scattered as boulders came raining down on the enemy. The soldiers were crushed beneath the rocks. The Horse Clans rushed to defend the upper gate.

There was urgent chanting from above. Ariana ran to join the sages. Vaeryn took the power from the circle. This time the flame was red. Ariana winced away from it. She’d never felt anything like this before. She no longer knew where she ended and the others began. They were all one. They were all angry. The flame was a volcano. The mountain walls turned molten. Red rock flowing down the mountainside filled the valley, an unbreakable barricade. Ariana felt the hair on her arms singe as the heat grew.

Ariana opened her eyes. Why was she on the ground? The other sages sprawled unconscious in a rough circle. She sat up slowly and rolled over to see if Vaeryn was all right. When she touched him he woke and soon the rest of the sages were waking up. Vaeryn caught her eye and smiled wryly.

“I can’t believe we did that.” She said.

“I can’t either.” He said. “Without you and the Heartstone’s power we never could have done it.” Pain spasmed over his face, he said, “I have the most awful headache.”