silently. Tash set to work making a new tunnel that cut off to the right, then swerved to the left and opened up into the cavern. Ambrose wanted to laugh at how easy Tash made it seem. She checked left and right before dropping to her knees and crawling out onto the terrace. Ambrose followed, signaling the others to wait.
Geratan had described the cavern to him, and Tash had told him the cavern was shrinking, but it still took Ambrose’s breath away. It was huge. The sides were covered with terraces—on the very highest one he spotted the red figure of a demon. Farther down, some Brigantines were guarding a few tunnel entrances, but others seemed to be relaxing. And in the center of it all was a deep hole with a column of purple smoke swirling out of it. The core.
That’s changed again, Tash told him. There’s more smoke than before, and it’s moving faster. The demons are making it happen. Far below us, beneath the core, they’re throwing themselves back into the smoke. Making it bigger.
The Brigantines don’t seem bothered by it, said Ambrose, looking at the relaxing guards.
Tash wrinkled her nose contemptuously. The Brigantines just think they’re going to get more smoke, but I wonder where it’ll end.
I don’t know, Tash. But I do know we have to destroy the smoke store if it’s still there. First, though, we need to mark this tunnel so we can find it again—it’s our way out.
Tash nodded. I can maybe make it a slightly different shape. Give it a lopsided look?
That’ll do fine. Then we need to get to the smoke store. Can you make a tunnel to it?
Easy.
Good. Five of my men will go with you and Geratan to destroy it.
What are the rest of you going to be doing? Tash asked with a frown.
Ambrose grinned. Causing chaos.
CATHERINE
ARMY CAMP, NORTHERN PITORIA
Advantage must be exploited swiftly and decisively.
War: The Art of Winning, M. Tatcher
TZSAYN STILL wasn’t well enough to go to the war council, but he was well enough for the war council to come to him. The king sat in a comfortable chair, his bandaged stump covered by a blanket, while Catherine, Hanov, Davyon, and Lord Darby stood round the map table as Ffyn made his report.
“For weeks the Brigantine invasion force has stayed put in their camps around Rossarb, but our spies have learned that Lord Thornlees and his men are in Brigant.” He looked at Lord Darby. “That’s two thousand men on foot and horse. They are heading for Calidor.”
“Only Thornlees’s men?” Darby asked.
“We believe it’s just his force that is on the move, and we’re sure that Aloysius is still in Rossarb. But it looks like the war is entering a new phase.”
“I’ll send word immediately to Calidor,” Darby said.
“Your message might not get there ahead of the Brigan-tines. I’m afraid the information is a little old,” Hanov said, looking miserable.
“But at least the message will get through,” Ffyn added, picking up a model boat from the map. “The scullers have enabled us to break Brigantine control of the Pitorian Sea. Several of their ships have been picked off, and the threat of a naval invasion of Pitoria has been almost eliminated.”
“Indeed,” Catherine said. “And now we need to put the scullers to their other use. We must attack the northern land route while Aloysius is still at Rossarb.”
“A bold move,” Ffyn commented. “But risky. Aloysius will bring all his forces to bear against them.”
“Not if he’s also being kept busy to the south,” Catherine replied. “The scullers will carry one force to the north shore of the Bay of Rossarb. These men are to take the forts and hold the road to prevent Aloysius from retreating. Meanwhile, the other prong of the attack is by land—the blue-hairs and white-hairs converging on Rossarb, one from the south, one from the east.”
Tzsayn spoke now. “Queen Catherine’s white-hairs will travel north from here to the Ross River Road before cutting west. Ffyn, you will go with that force and ensure that the queen is safe at all times. Davyon, you will lead my blue-hairs, who will advance from the south. You will coordinate your attack on Aloysius’s forces just outside Rossarb.”
Davyon said, “What about the boy army? Any details about their location?”
Hanov stepped in. “Information on the boys’ brigades is sparse, to say the least. They move quickly and with minimal support—no horses, no baggage, no camp followers—so tracking their location is almost impossible. However, we believe Prince