across a branch across the gorge, the Escarlish soldiers would hesitate if asked to do so without the reassurance of railings.
But at that moment, she couldn’t feel more than a slight satisfaction. It had been her contribution...the better to send Escarlish soldiers charging toward their deaths.
With the constant barrage of the artillery providing some distraction while the elves wielding their magic provided cover, a mixed squad of elven warriors and Escarlish soldiers dashed forward in formation across the open area and onto the bridge.
“Look out!” Jalissa pressed Essie to the ground as rocks hurled from the other side of the gorge. Most were aimed at the warriors and soldiers on the bridge, but some were directed into the trees.
Saplings sprang up in front of Essie, then curled over her and Jalissa until they were protected beneath a dome of wood.
Something rattled against the barrier Jalissa had grown.
Essie peeked between the sheltering saplings. On the bridge, men and elves fell, but those left continued to press forward. At intervals, the Escarlish soldiers knelt and fired their repeating firearms. While they reloaded, the elves behind them loosed arrows, arching them into the trees on the far side.
When they reached the end of the bridge, the soldiers fired a volley. Then, the elven warriors bounded over them, swords flashing as they raced forward. The ring of steel on steel came from the far side as the elves clashed with the troll defenders.
Snow and rocks flew, obscuring the far side once again. Green and blue elven magic flashed against it. The booming artillery fell mostly silent, except for the points farthest from the bridges where they wouldn’t risk hitting their own men and elves.
Weylind sprang to his feet, his sword flashing in his hand, and charged forward. A contingent of elves charged in his wake with a powerful grace. As he reached the far side, green magic surrounded Weylind. Roots burst from the ground, tossing aside the boulders and rock defenses the trolls huddled behind. He vaulted over the remains of a wall, spinning and slicing with his sword.
“I’ve never seen Weylind fight before. Not like this, anyway.” Essie glanced at Jalissa.
“He was our strongest warrior, before Farrendel came into his magic.” Jalissa’s fingers still glowed as she poured her magic into the ground. “Who do you think trained Farrendel?”
Essie hadn’t thought about it much, though it made sense. By the time Farrendel became Laesornysh, his father was already dead. Training Farrendel would have fallen to Weylind.
With a shout, the Escarlish army officers led their men in a charge across the bridges, now that the elves cleared the way. More repeater guns were wheeled across the bridges.
From that point on, the fighting became too heated and chaotic for Essie to follow. Partway through the day, she and Jalissa eased from their spot until they were farther behind the lines. There, they joined the effort gathering the wounded and loading them onto the ambulance wagons to travel to the encampment where Leyleira oversaw the hospital.
As the sun set, Essie sat on a stump, worn thin. Blood spattered her clothes and coated her hands. When had that happened? She had been so busy wrapping wounds, spreading the balm Illyna and the other elves had prepared, giving the injured drinks of water, and trying to lift their spirits with a smile.
Footsteps crunched on the pine needles in front of her. She blinked up, taking a moment to recognize the person standing in front of her. “Avie?”
He knelt in front of her. Dried blood coated the left side of his face from a cut across his cheek. “We gained a foothold on the far side. It will be a difficult night, but we don’t intend to let them push us out.”
Essie glanced around. Weylind stood a few yards away, hands gripping Jalissa’s shoulders. “Julien and Edmund?”
“They’re fine. They’re going to camp on the far side with the army.” Averett’s mouth tilted wryly. “But the generals are insisting that kings and princesses should remain on this side for tonight.”
Ah. At least Essie wouldn’t be sitting safely behind the line all by herself. “I guess today was already costly enough.”
“Yes.” Averett slumped onto the ground next to her stump. “I remember the way Father looked when he returned for brief visits during the last war. He had aged. He didn’t smile quite the way he used to.”
Would this war make her brothers smile and laugh less? She had already seen the lasting damage war had caused to Farrendel.
She drew in