Bones of the Dragon - Margaret Weis [57]
The two looked at each other in alarm, then looked at the Hall of Vindrash. They could see smoke rising, but they could not tell what was burning.
Garn picked up his weapons. He and Aylaen broke into a run, heading for the Hall. The same thought was in both of their minds: The ogres had somehow found the Hall and set it on fire. Aylaen cried out her sister’s name, but there was no answer.
Reaching the Hall, Garn and Aylaen stopped and stared in shock and dismay. The statue of Vindrash was going up in flames. Treia stood beside the fire, watching the statue burn, her face impassive.
Garn ran toward the fire with some wild thought of trying to save the statue, snatch it from the flames. He could see that he was too late. Not only was the wood old, but it had also been soaked in oil, for part of the Priestess’s daily ritual was to rub it and polish it lovingly. The flames crackled. The Dragon Goddess withered.
“The statue was broken,” said Treia, not looking at either of them.
Aylaen put her hand to her mouth to stifle a cry. She looked at Garn.
“It is time,” he said harshly. “Past time. We must make haste.”
He told the two women to walk in front of him. He followed behind, his weapons in his hands. Treia held the spiritbone pressed against her chest.
“Have you ever been in a battle?” Aylaen asked.
Treia shook her head.
“Neither have I. We have been lucky, Mother says. No enemy has attacked us on our own soil in many years, not since before I was born.” Aylaen hesitated, then said, “Did Vindrash answer your prayers?”
Treia’s lips tightened. She stared straight ahead, then said, “Why do you think I burned the statue?”
Aylaen’s mouth went dry; her stomach clenched. A tremor of fear ran through her. Without the dragon to help even the odds, the Torgun could not win. Aylaen had talked of being taken captive by the ogres, but she had said that mainly to hurt Garn, not because she’d truly confronted the awful reality. Now she did so, and she was sick with fear. Her hands shook; her palms were wet with sweat. She gripped the axe tightly to keep the handle from slipping out of her grasp.
“I prayed to Vindrash, that she would answer your prayers,” Aylaen said softly, thinking this would please her sister.
Treia’s face went livid. “Because I am a failure.”
“No, sister, truly!” Aylaen faltered. “I never thought that!”
“Who asked you to come, anyway? I don’t want you. Go home where you will be safe,” Treia said, and she stalked off.
Aylaen stared after her, dismayed.
“Did you hear?” she asked Garn. “The goddess didn’t answer!”
“Don’t tell the others,” he said.
Skylan led the Torgun warriors from the Chief’s Hall. He took with him a scouting party and sent the rest out to form the shield-wall on the ground he had selected for the battle. He and his small troop of men topped a ridgeline overlooking the bay. The ogres were leaving their ships, coming ashore. Unlike the dragonships of the Vindrasi, which were lightweight and steered by a uniquely designed rudder that allowed them to sail almost up onto a beach, the heavy ogre ships had to remain in the deep water, forcing the ogre warriors to jump into the sea and swim.
The Torgun paused to watch the ogres floundering in the waves, which were breaking over their heads. The seas were rough this morning, and he worried that the angry Sea Goddess might drown his foe, robbing him of his battle. Akaria seemed content with tormenting them, however, slapping them with waves while a vicious undertow sucked at their ankles, trying to drag them under.
Although ogres disliked water, they were strong if clumsy swimmers, and they reached the shore without too much difficulty. The first to arrive took up positions along the beach in order to protect the rest of the army. They brought with them a small boat piled high with their weapons, armor, and shields, and while some ogres stood guard, others armed themselves for battle.
Also in the boat was the shaman. Akaria’s breath ruffled the black feathers of his cape. He was holding a large gourd, painted and decorated with feathers,