From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [119]
“Thanks, Shung.” If only he had as much confidence in himself. He opened his mind to the duchess. Hello, my lady.
Your Highness, we have quite a task ahead. Are you feeling well-rested?
Achan winced, scolding himself yet again for his overindulgence of wine the previous evening. I’ll do my best, my lady.
Then come to me, for I sit at your side.
At his side? Achan’s stomach sprung. How much had she heard him say about Sparrow? Then he remembered it did not matter, for Lady Averella had broken their agreement. “I’m off, Shung.”
He banged a fist against his chest. “Shung will not leave your side.”
Achan closed his eyes. When he rose up into the Veil, he found Duchess Amal on the couch beside him. Achan blew out a quick breath and offered his arm. Shall we?
She smiled, sending a small jolt through his stomach. There was something about her smile that got him every time. He could not place the reason. She took his hand, and before he could ask where they might go, she pulled him through the roof of his wagon and into the bright sky.
He held tight, knowing he was safe with her, but still unsettled by the sensation of flying. Especially when Shamayim’s pull tugged at his heart. The speed at which they traveled blew their hair flat as if they were drenched from rain. The land spread out below like a map. Achan could see his camp, his wagon a small dot below his feet. The prairie grasses covered the ground in a soft green blanket, edged with a sandy coastline. Straight ahead, in the distance, the Lebab Inlet narrowed between the two Reshon Gates. The southern coast consisted of rocky cliffs. To the left, Darkness painted the horizon like a layer of black ash.
My lady, if we can see where Sir Gavin rides, won’t the Hadad see him as well?
Certainly. But we hope Captain Demry’s diversion will distract the Hadad enough so that Sir Gavin can take the gate and lower the bridge. Our job is to deal with the tanniyn.
Achan’s stomach tumbled. How will we do that?
Storm the one who controls it and send it back to sea.
Will the tanniyn listen to us?
Tanniyns are peaceful creatures when left alone. It will be happy to leave. If not, we can influence it.
But I thought we weren’t to control anything?
It is not advised, but we are not doing so to use the creature for harm. We are trying to help it. Arman has given us dominion over all the creatures of this land. He will not fault us for returning them to the sea.
Achan could see the gate clearly now. Two pillars of stone towered on either side of the water. An iron portcullis stretched across the sea between them. A small garrison sat beside the northern pillar. Behind it, a massive drawbridge stood erect like a door without walls. That was what needed to be lowered if the army were to cross here.
From the air, it was easy to see both armies. Before the entrance to the drawbridge, Esek’s soldiers sat atop horses, side by side in rows of fifty or more, five rows deep. At the end of each line were two chams, saddled and each carrying a rider. The front row was made up of archers. Directly in front of the gate, at the back of the line, ten black knights stood conjuring orbs of green light that hovered overhead. A jousting field’s distance out from the gate, another three rows of black knights— or so it appeared—stood in a line across the prairie.
How many of the black knights were flesh and blood, and how many were illusion? And since when could chams be trained to carry men?
Another jousting field away, Sir Gavin’s army approached. They too moved in formation. Two long rows of men in red cloaks on horseback. Archers in front followed by men with lances. Then, fifty feet beyond, came three groups of soldiers in square formations, six across and six deep.
The duchess and Achan approached the water. Across the inlet, the coast was a cliff of craggy orange rock. A yellow dirt road extended from the southern pillar into a thick forest and on to Armonguard.
To the west, Darkness hid the second Reshon Gate and the city of Mahanaim.