down, gazing out at the expanse of the Iron Steppe to the north. The spyglass might have revealed her people’s approach, but to the unassisted eye the horizon remained bare. “The Ostra were always his least ardent followers,” she said. “Strange that he should choose them to lead his vanguard.”
“Skeltir Varnko tried to convince me to leave,” Vaelin recalled. “I assumed at your urging.”
“No, that was his own act. He has long known that Kehlbrand’s rise means potential destruction for the Stahlhast. If the Darkblade wanted you, it couldn’t be good.”
“And yet the Ostra still came to do the Darkblade’s bidding.”
“The dream of riding to the Golden Sea resides in the heart of every Stahlhast. Perhaps even Varnko couldn’t resist it in the end.”
Luralyn gave a sorrowful sigh and started down the stairs. Vaelin began to follow but stopped at Ahm Lin’s mutter. “She lied, brother.”
Vaelin turned to see the mason once again looking through the glass. “What a marvellous thing,” he said, shaking his head as he stepped back to run an admiring glance over the device. “What I wouldn’t give to open it up. The lenses must be ground with incredible precision.”
“She lied?” Vaelin prompted.
“Oh, she didn’t lie to us,” Ahm Lin said. “She lied to herself, about her True Dream. It showed her far more than fragments.”
“What did it show her?”
“Something her mind can’t accept. Not yet at least. But I have a sense we’ll all need her to remember very soon.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Handle it only when wearing gloves.” Vaelin handed one small vial to Nortah, Ellese and Juhkar. “Even the smallest drop on bare skin could be fatal. And I’m told you shouldn’t sniff it unless you want to permanently lose your sense of smell.”
“What’s in this?” Nortah asked, holding the vial up to the fading late evening light. The liquid inside seemed to have the viscosity of plain water and was mostly clear with a yellowish tinge.
“She wouldn’t tell me,” Vaelin said. “But you can be sure that any penetrating wound with a blade or arrowhead coated in this will undoubtedly prove fatal. Remember your instructions. Stay with Juhkar. He will guide your aim. Corporal Wei’s squad will guard you. No haring off on your own, regardless of how tempting it might be.” These words were addressed solely to Ellese, who began to reply with a roll of her eyes before noting the hardness of his gaze.
“I understand, Uncle,” she said.
He left them at the north-facing gate and sought out Ahm Lin on the western battlement. The mason was flanked on either side by Alum and Sehmon with the full company of Skulls arrayed in two ranks behind. Vaelin paused to straighten the stance and spears of a few, taking a measure of satisfaction from the controlled trepidation he saw on most faces. A complete absence of fear would be more worrying than outright terror. Contrary to expectations, none had deserted during their forced march beyond the walls, although he suspected this was due to pragmatic self-preservation rather than any dutiful impulse.
“Corporal,” he said, coming to a halt before the man known as Cho-ka.
The outlaw came smartly to attention with a well-practiced salute. “My lord!”
“You know your orders?”
“Preserve the mason’s life at all costs.”
The strict formality of his tone and bearing contrasted with the defiant smuggler Vaelin had met in the dungeons, causing him to wonder if the man might be harbouring some hidden mockery. However, careful scrutiny of the fellow’s rigid features revealed nothing beyond soldierly resolve.
“Quite so,” Vaelin said. “If he falls, so does this city. Make sure your men know that.”
“I will, my lord.”
“What tune do you have for me tonight?” Vaelin asked, joining Ahm Lin at the shoulder of one of the triangular crenellations that topped the wall, looking out into the gathering dark.
“The low growl of an approaching storm,” the mason replied. His pensive gaze tracked from east to west, Vaelin noting how his hand twitched on the haft of the spear he insisted on carrying. “All around. The Stahlhast woman was right. They won’t strike in just one place.”
“And the Gifted?”
Ahm Lin could only shake his head. “They’re out there somewhere, but as to their ability . . .” He trailed off with an apologetic shrug.
They began to hear the enemy as twilight faded into full darkness. The sky was clear, revealing a half-moon and a vast swathe of stars that would have been captivating at another time, but the gloom beyond the walls betrayed no sign of the Stahlhast.