darkened blade_ A fallen blade novel - Kelly McCullough Page 0,60

nightfall tomorrow, and still manage a good four hours’ sleep during the highest sun.”

“What’s the rock like there?” Siri had moved up behind me silently.

“Some sort of reddish stone that spalls and cracks. There’s always fresh rockfall on that section of the trail, and at least once a decade they have to carve the trail deeper when it loses a chunk of ledge. Beyond that? I don’t know that much about rock in its natural state. I’m more a castles man.”

“You and me both,” said Siri. “There’s not much call for assassinating mountain goats, so I never bothered to learn about the stuff of mountains. I suspect I’m going to wish at least one of us knew a lot more about it before this jaunt is over.” She sighed. “That means I’m going to have to err on the side of power over finesse.”

“Jax!” she called over her shoulder. “The answer is yes.”

At the next wide spot in the little canyon, we paused briefly to sort out the packs. If things went badly and we didn’t catch up with the youngsters, they were going to be on mighty thin rations by the time they got out of the mountains—eating the goats had always been the backup plan if things went pear shaped. But hungry was much better than undead. Once they were loaded up, the group of us who were going to attempt the ambush slid over to the side along with Maryam and let the rest pass on. As soon as the last of the line passed Maryam fell in at the back.

“Time to move!” she called, and the lot of them started into a steady lope that would see them over the top of the pass several hours ahead of the rest of us.

It was a good thing they had been training steadily in the mountains above Jax’s castle for several years, and that they were all young and fit, because the next few days were going to be brutal for them if we didn’t make it. The downward end of the trail extended much farther than the one running up had, since Dalridia was already so high to begin with.

Kelos led us off at a steady walk. The slower pace would open the distance with the students, and we needed the mages who were going to bring down the mountainside to arrive at the ambush site as rested as possible. Nima, the stuff of magic, comes from the well of the soul, and exhaustion will drain it as thoroughly as spellcasting.

I put Siri up with Kelos to sort out what they could of the plan short of actually looking over the site, while I started to drift back to the rear with Faran again. Jax took Altia tight under her wing, slotting in right behind Siri and leading half the string of agutes. Kumi and Javan fell in together next, talking quietly as they led another half-dozen goats. As I passed them on my way back, I couldn’t help noticing how pale and sweaty Javan looked in the moonlight.

“How’s the leg?” I asked.

He flexed golemite toes—there was little point in wearing a boot on that foot. “The magic side works well enough, First Blade, but my stump is aching something fierce. I train with it all the time, but I haven’t had to travel distances like this on it before. I’m learning that I should have pushed myself to go farther and faster.” He straightened his back. “But don’t worry, I’ll do this. I have to.”

I could see what saying that cost him, and I squeezed his shoulder lightly. “I know you will. Good lad.”

Once Faran and I had dropped back out of earshot, I said, “You spent a fair bit of time with Javan when you were both recovering from the fight at the abbey.” He’d lost his leg in the same battle that had nearly cost her an eye and left her with years of debilitating headaches. “How bad is he, really?”

She shrugged. “I’ve seen him worse, if not by much. But he’s tough and his endurance is amazing. He’ll make it even if he has to walk the last ten miles on a bleeding stump or crawl on hands and knees.”

“I wish we could put him on one of the agutes,” I said.

But there was just no way. The goats couldn’t carry much more than thirty pounds at the best of times, and they started to get balky at twenty. I kept one eye