(Rose)

The city of Pike was on high alert. Groups of Shadowcloaks raced across the battlements. Enemy riders entered the city at breakneck speed. The clash between the two kingdoms was imminent.

They know we’re here... Rose narrowed her eyes. I wonder how many casters they’ve got.

She perked up. I’ll find out soon enough. Her wing reflexively brushed against her side, where her dagger would have been.

She glanced down at the badger burrow. Hmm, still nothing.

It had been some time since she had seen any dirt flowing from William’s tunnel. Initially, she had assumed that he had stopped to take a booster bar break. After all, he had been taking short breaks periodically, but this one had been too long.

Rose hopped from the branch and flew to the ground. She landed right in front of the tunnel entrance, underneath the tree. She shifted into a fox and boosted her hearing.

Hmm… too quiet. She sighed. I guess I’ll have to go in.

She leaped into the burrow and raced through the tunnel.

Oof! She tumbled over when she reached an unexpected dip. She spat out a mouthful of dirt, cursed, and sped forward.

This was a long distance if you had to dig a tunnel, but a short distance if you only had to dash through it. She saw a dim light ahead and slowed down.

That doesn’t look like moonstone light…

She proceeded with caution. Her eyes widened when she saw the faint outlines of a collapsed badger. She heard snoring and realized that William was dead to the world but still very much alive.

The illumination that she had seen was from a dislodged brick. Faint light streamed in through the small opening. She levitated the brick and plugged the hole in the well. She drew out her sunstone and examined William. There were speckles of violet liquid on his muzzle.

Well, that explains why he’s sleeping on the job. Rose snorted. She looked around. Where is the flask?

She examined the area and found the cap lying in the dirt. There were bite marks on it.

She rolled her eyes. Oh, William, what did you do?

She continued to search for the flask but could not find it. She checked for magical signatures to make sure that she had not missed anything.

Hmm, it’s not here… It must be in the well.

She covered her sunstone, removed the brick, and peered down into the well. She shifted into a triclops gecko and crawled inside the well. Halfway down, she saw the flask bobbing in the water. She Levitated it upside down and shook it vigorously. Once she was certain that the flask was empty, she headed back up. The little bottle followed her, as though it was fastened by an invisible string. All that she had to do now was plug the hole in the wall and get William to safety.

She seized William by the scruff and dragged him out of the tunnel. She took a break under the overhanging branches of the cedar tree to fly up and scout the perimeter. Once she was assured that the area was clear, she dragged him to the edge of the underbrush and shifted into a harpy. She clutched the sleeping badger with her talons and took off.

#

Rose landed next to the command tent and ducked inside. Greg Tinbury, Commanders Clay and Craw, Hark Bolt, Ivan Snow, and Rob Stone were discussing the upcoming offensive. Commander Clay was pointing to an area on the battle map and the others were nodding.

She cleared her throat and they turned toward her.

“Rose, what’s the latest?” asked Rob.

“I just got back from scouting the eastern fortifications. The number of sleeping sentries has steadily increased in the last few hours. I’ve seen little movement from their reserves. Several of the catapult crews are dozing off. Many have already succumbed to the effects of the Fairy Bee brew. Our plan is working!”

Commander Clay waved Rose toward the map. “Show me which catapult crews are dozing off.”

Rose pointed to a few sections on the map. “These crews are out cold, just like William.” She moved her finger to another section. “Half of this crew is also dozing.”

Commander Clay dropped a marker on the map. “That’s where we should hit them.”

“Agreed,” the Lord Commander replied. “Craw, take Ivan and get our soldiers in position.”

“Right away!” Commander Craw and Ivan saluted and dashed out.

“Hark, get the archers ready.”

“On it!” Hark bolted out of the tent.

“Rose, you already know what you’re supposed to do,” Greg said. “I’m going to coordinate the rest of the casters.”

She nodded and a sinister smile flashed across her face.

It was time for the offensive.

#

Rose and the other casters were assigned a defensive support role. They rode behind Hark Bolt’s unit.

The first group to test the city’s defenses was Commander Bolt’s mounted archery brigade. They sped toward Pike with loaded impact bows.

Hark raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and pointed to the wall. The company swung to the right and rode parallel to the wall, just before reaching the estimated strike zone of the enemy archers.

A volley of arrows was launched from Pike.

“Casters get ready,” Rose cried out. “Ground those arrows!”

Arrows started dropping from the sky, well short of their intended targets.

Hark bellowed, “Archers ready!”

“Archers,” hundreds of voices cried out in response.

“Nock!”

“Draw!”

“Loose!”

Both sides exchanged volleys of arrows. In the distance, horns blared, signaling the advance of the ground troops.

Ladder wagons crept toward the city, followed by soldiers who carried tower shields. Another brigade of archers followed on foot. The Scaran forces converged on Pike. The drums of war pounded behind them.

“I’ve deflected forty-two so far,” Mary boasted.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“That’s ‘cause you’re deflecting arrows that would never reach their targets,” John shot back. “My fifteen deflects actually saved lives. I’m not trying to inflate my numbers.”

“I’m not taking any chances with my archers,” Mary snapped. “One of yours already took an arrow in the knee. That poor man will never be an adventurer.”

Before John could retort, Rose heard a shout.

“Incoming!”

The night sky was suddenly ablaze with trails of fire. Five balls of flame roared above the battlefield.

“John! Mary!” Rose bellowed and pointed toward the flaming barrel furthest to the left.

“I got the one on the right,” Lin cried out. There was no time for Rose to respond as she had three barrels to deal with. She redirected two but missed the last. A fiery explosion engulfed a group of archers and the soldiers screamed.

Rose used Advanced Levitation to suffocate the flames, but she could not save everyone.

She had been so intent on the first five barrels that she missed the sixth one that followed.

Claire’s loud, piercing scream tore through the night. The young girl galloped recklessly toward the archers, a savage expression on her face. Her right arm was extended and trembled. It was then that Rose saw the sixth barrel, suspended in midair, not far from Toby’s group. Fiery molten sludge seeped from the blazing keg.

Rose looked at Claire with astonishment. With fierce intensity, her arm still quivering, she flicked her wrist. The barrel hurtled toward the city wall and crashed into a catapult near the gate. A violent burst of fire illuminated the night sky. The flames must have reached a stockpile of barrels because a series of explosions followed. The defenders in the area scrambled to escape the inferno. Burning and screaming soldiers plummeted from the wall.

Rose saw the chaos near the gate and her mouth curved into a predatory smile.

“Lin, you’re in charge of the casters,” Rose bellowed. “I’m heading in. Send a message to your uncle to keep an eye on the eastern gate.” She shifted and flew off.

Soaring up to get a better vantage point, Rose scanned the area. It was a good night for war. Three of the seven moons shone above the battlefield, providing excellent light where there were no fires. Glowing ashen plumes of smoke rose near the eastern gate. The ladder wagons were closing in on the city wall.

She looked at the battlements. Frantic groups of defenders ran to and fro. The ramparts looked like an agitated ant colony.

She glanced around. Flaming barrels soared through the sky. Still, Lin and the other casters were holding their own.

I need to hurry. She sped toward the gate.

As she closed in, she was accosted by the acrid smell of smoke and the heat of the blazing fires. Flames enveloped the wooden platforms behind a section of the wall.

“Get more water!” someone bellowed.

“Ash and embers, stop staring like slugs and put out the fires.”

“Move it… Move it!”

Orders were being issued above the screams of dying soldiers.

It was pandemonium. Rose grinned.

No one noticed the raven swooping down and transforming right next to the gate. Rose covered her nose and mouth with her cloak. Her eyes stung.

The pulley mechanism for retracting the portcullis was directly ahead. She reached for her blade and realized that it was not on her hip.

Rot and ruin, she cursed silently and reached inside her enchanted bag. She scrambled around looking for her blade when a subtle presence of magic in the area put her on edge.

A Shadow caster…

Every muscle in her body tensed.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up. She crouched and scanned the area. Her stalker was using Invisibility, but the smoke revealed the outlines of a petite figure. The silhouette jumped toward Rose, but it had lost the element of surprise. A slab of charred wood sliced through the smoke and smashed into the enemy caster. Her Invisibility spell winked out and she collapsed onto the ground. Rose reached down and snagged her dagger.

“Thanks for the blade.” She leaned down and slit the Shadow caster’s throat. She surveyed the area to confirm that she had not drawn any attention. Everyone was still focused on the raging fires.

She sprinted toward the right pulley, vaulted up several steps, and cut through the rope. The counterbalance attached to the line broke free, and she Levitated it out of the way. She dashed to the other side and disabled the left pulley. The metal grating began to retract.

The sound of clicking gears alerted the nearby defenders, who rushed toward the gate. The smoke was clearing, which revealed her location. Arrows flew in her direction, and she ducked underneath the archway.

The outer gate was barred by a wooden beam. Rose crouched down and braced her shoulder against the beam. Grunting, she dug her feet into the ground and pushed with all her might. She lifted the beam and dropped it on the ground. She swung the gates open and shifted into a bear. Determined to keep the gate opened for as long as she could, she roared and charged the advancing soldiers.

(Ivan)

Ivan rode with the Bear division that was led by Rob Stone. They had received a report that Rose had assaulted the eastern gate. Rob had diverted one of the battering ram units in that direction. Their division was preparing to charge.

“The gate is opening,” someone cried out.

“Onrush!” Rob bellowed and the cavalry surged toward the gate.

Ivan kicked his mount’s flank and leaned down. His charger sped forward. Rose was dead ahead, and she was all alone.

(Rose)

Rose shredded the first soldier to reach her and barreled forward. She mauled and mangled three other Shadowcloaks, before an arrow pierced her flank. Pushing the pain aside, she tore through the next group. The line of pikemen behind them hesitated. Rose roared and bared her fangs.

“For the Shadow Queen!” a young soldier bellowed, raised her spear, and charged ahead of the group. Rose nimbly evaded the attack and bonked the young woman on the head. She crumpled to the ground.

Rose shifted her paw and grabbed the fallen spear. She stood on her hind legs, raised the weapon, and rumbled menacingly. Wide-eyed, the incoming defenders faltered.

Well, if I’m going to die, at least I’ll go out in style. Rose grinned, baring her canines.

The arrival of enemy reinforcements galvanized the soldiers back into action. Spears extended, moving in unison, they rushed toward her. Rose threw her spear and skewered two soldiers. She Levitated a cloud of dust and peppered the pikemen with pebbles. She moved forward and slammed another enemy. Pain lanced through her shoulder blade, but she kept on fighting.

“Whoever kills that cursed shifter, gets a purse of gold,” someone bellowed.

“Get the bear!” someone else shouted.

“Close the gate!”

(Ivan)

Ivan galloped at breakneck speed toward the open gate. The drumming of hooves thundered around him. Rose was about to be overwhelmed. An explosion of dust obscured the area ahead of them. As the cloud of dust cleared, he saw a spear sticking out of the bear’s shoulder. Nearing the gate, he heard Rob shouting at Rose.

“Fly, you fool!”

Ivan watched Rose as she clamped the spear between her teeth and ripped it out of her shoulder. She shifted into a bird and flew awkwardly away.

The cavalry stormed through the opening and trampled the frontline of Shadowcloaks. Ivan found himself in the thick of battle. Arrows whistled by. Weapons clashed. He slashed from side to side, cutting down Shadowlanders. He dodged and weaved between enemies. Corpses piled behind him.

“Push forward!”

“Anyone that kills more croakers than the Snowstorm gets a barrel of ale,” the Sub-commander who led their unit roared.

The clash at the gate was brutal!

Ivan’s squad pushed deeper into the northern section of the city while the Lord Commander led the bulk of the cavalry into the heart of Pike.

They encountered pockets of resistance. Some Shadowcloaks dropped their weapons and surrendered, others fought to the bitter end.

Their Sub-Commander was bludgeoned to death in a skirmish near the Silo District. His unit was cut off from the rest of the group in one of the narrow streets by the granaries.

Left without a chain of command, Ivan took charge and rallied the remainder of the group.

“Shields up,” he bellowed. “Watch for arrows from the right flank. We’ll regroup with the Bear division past the Silo District.” Ivan raised his sword and pointed ahead. “Follow me!”

He knew exactly where they were. He had been to Pike many times and had learned the lesser-known shortcuts from Mary and John.

The tall silos blocked the moonlight and plunged the street ahead of them into darkness. One of the horses neighed and jumped sideways.

“Easy, girl… Easy!” the rider soothed the spooked animal.

Ivan led them to a side alley. The gravel crunched under the horses’ hooves. An owl hooted. His eyes darted from side to side. Acrid smoke, unseen, clawed at his senses. He blinked his eyes against the bitter vapors and kept riding. Sweat dripped down his back.

He whipped his head to one side. What was that? He tugged the reins to slow down.

A creaking sound from the balcony was his only warning. He lifted his shield.

Bang!

Something slammed into him, and he was knocked off his horse. Gravel cut into Ivan’s skin as he crashed onto the ground. A Shadowlander lunged at him, and Ivan rolled to the side. His night goggles were knocked off and the taste of blood filled his mouth.

They had been ambushed.

He heard the clash of weapons around him, but he was focused on his attacker. A huge brute with a thick neck and a flat nose hurled a fist toward his face. Ivan used his forearm to deflect the blow and drove his knee into the assailant’s stomach.

Oof!

They punched, grappled, and rolled on the street. Ivan got off the ground but before he could reach his weapon, he was tackled down again. He used the momentum to roll with the hit and landed behind the brute. He clamped his arm around his attacker’s neck and squeezed.

The brute rose from the ground, lifting Ivan on his back. Ivan tightened his grip. The Shadowlander flailed wildly, backed up, and smashed Ivan into the side of a building.

Ivan gritted his teeth as something sharp dug into his back, but he kept his grip.

The brute wobbled, before he went limp and crumpled to the ground.

Ivan got up, picked up his sword, and rejoined the fight. Some of the enemies were drowsy which made them easier to dispatch. They made quick work of the ambushers.

“Get me a healer!” Ivan bellowed as the fighting died down. “I need a few volunteers to remain with the injured. Everyone else, mount up.”

They rejoined the Bear Division and crushed the remaining pockets of resistance.

The plan had worked. The Fairy Bee brew had crippled the defenders. By early dawn, the battle had ended.

The city of Pike had been liberated!