The sun hung low over the forest when Kevlin led his horse wearily into a small clearing about a mile from the fort. After seeing to the animal, he sat down in the tall grass and lay back, happy to rest for a few minutes. The woods had been thick. Had it not been for Adalia and the other hunters from Baldev finding the most accessible route, they would never have managed it in one day.

Not far away, Gabral ordered, “No fires tonight. Post a double guard.”

Harafin said, “I think I’ll check on the men of Baldev and see if they’re in position.”

“How are you going to do that?” asked Kevlin. “You can’t possibly reach them and return before morning.”

“Not by walking,” Harafin said. “Come, I’ll show you.”

“First I want to get a look at the fort,” said Gabral. “Kevlin, join us.”

“Good idea.”

They set off into the woods, with the captains, Leander, and Ceren in tow. With Adalia to guide them, and without horses to slow them down in the thick undergrowth, they made little noise. After about a hundred yards, they crossed a wide trail that headed due east toward the cliff.

“Let’s keep an eye on this trail tonight in case the Grakonians send out a patrol,” ordered Gabral.

“Aye, sir,” said Drystan.

“Looks like the trail we followed the first time,” Kevlin said to Ceren.

She nodded, and he wondered if she was thinking about kissing him in the darkness nearby. They followed the trail to where it turned north. At that point they slipped into the woods and soon reached the edge of the large clearing.

The fortress huddled against the base of the massive cliff. They spent a few minutes studying the wall and the half mile of open space they'd have to charge across. The enemy showed no signs of preparing their defenses, so hopefully the attack would be a surprise.

Ceren whispered, “I never actually got to see it last time. It makes me shiver to think we walked right up to that wall.”

“It won’t be so easy next time.”

Kevlin asked Adalia, “Still sure you can get in range without being seen?”

“Aye, we kin get close, no worries.” She pointed to the sky. “Tonight looks ta be cloudy an dark. Plenty of shadows ta hide in.”

Kevlin detailed to everyone the layout of the fort behind the wall and answered a few questions. As darkness descended, torches were lit along the top of the wall. They marked carefully the placement of the guards and Kevlin explained the pattern of their movements that he’d witnessed.

Finally satisfied, they headed back for camp. Harafin lagged behind and placed a hand on Kevlin’s shoulder. “It’s time I check on our friends. Will you watch with me?”

“Of course. What exactly are you going to do?”

The old sentinel smiled, a flash of white in the gathering darkness. “One major branch of study in the sentinel enclaves is nature. There is much knowledge and power to be found within the natural world. One very useful skill which I will be using tonight is the ability to connect with nearby animals.”

“You can speak with animals?”

“Not exactly. It’s more like the ability to encourage them to take certain actions, and then accompany them as they do so.”

“So, you possess them?”

“No, but I can use their senses, seeing what they see, hearing what they hear, or even smelling what they smell.”

“That’s amazing.”

Harafin smiled again, then closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the sky. Kevlin watched for several long minutes, but the old man made no further movement.

A soft yellow glow concentrated around his closed eyes, illuminating his face. The sentinel remained unmoving for fifteen minutes before taking a deep breath and opening his eyes.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

“How did it go?” Kevlin asked

“Our friends are in position and ready. A roving owl was kind enough to fly over and inspect their handiwork.” Harafin laughed. “No matter how many times I do that, I always find it amazing to stare down upon the world through the eyes of a bird.”

It sounded like an amazing ability, but watching it from the outside was just a little more exciting than watching paint dry.

“Why don’t you do it more often?” Kevlin asked.

“It could prove dangerous. Giving in to the temptation to use one’s magic unnecessarily is as potentially destructive as giving in to the temptation to drink oneself unconscious every night. Both become addictions that can come to rule one’s life and eventually destroy it.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

Back at camp, the men had completed their final preparations for the morning’s attack, eaten a cold meal, and most of them had already rolled into their blankets. Kevlin ate his meal quickly and was laying out his own blankets when Drystan approached and held out a long spear.

“You’ll need this for the assault tomorrow,” Drystan said.

“Thanks.”

A high-pitched shout rang through the night from the edge of the clearing.

Kevlin recognized the voice. “Adalia.”

They ran into the darkness toward the source of the shouting. Another voice, deeper, cursed loudly. They reached the edge of the forest and came upon Adalia’s small tent pitched by the edge of the trees.

A man was staggering out of it, doubled over, one hand clutching his midsection. His other hand covered his nose. In the darkness, Kevlin couldn’t clearly see his face.

“Halt,” Kevlin commanded, placing the point of his spear against the man’s chest.

The fellow stopped, but growled, “Get out of my way.”

The tent flap flew aside and Adalia leaped out and launched herself toward the man. Drystan intercepted her and grabbed her arms before she could stab the man with the arrow she wielded like a spear.

“Stop it,” Drystan barked.

“By Jagen, I’m gonna kill him!” she shrieked in rage, struggling mightily against Drystan’s grasp.

Drystan said, “No one is going to kill anyone until I know what happened.”

Jerrik and several men with drawn swords and torches approached. The additional light revealed the features of the man Kevlin held at spear point. His nose was bleeding.

“Cridan,” Jerrik addressed him. “What’s going on?”

Adalia shouted, “He attacked me, that’s wot. An’ I’m gonna kill him fer it!”

She lunged for Cridan, but Drystan restrained her. “Calm down or you’re going to hurt yourself. What did he do?”

Cridan said, “The little wench invited me into her tent and then attacked me like a demon.”

“Liar!” Adalia screamed, fury pouring off her in waves.

“Silence,” Gabral commanded, arriving with Leander, Indira, and Ceren.

Indira took Adalia from Drystan and wrapped a protective arm around her. Ceren joined the two other women, her sword held low and at the ready. Adalia seemed to deflate as she sagged against the healer.

Gabral surveyed them angrily. “Do you plan to announce our presence to everyone within a mile of our position? Are you trying to get us all killed?”

“No, sir,” Adalia snarled. “Just him.”

“You’re crazy,” sneered Cridan. He turned to Gabral. “She’s been eyeing me for the past two days. I know what she wants, and when I asked her if she wanted some company tonight, she invited me into her tent. But when I started giving her what she wanted, she attacked me.”

Adalia stared at him, momentarily so angry she couldn't speak. “I never eyed ye, ye disgustin’ pig. Ye showed up with no warnin’ an’ I told ye ta leave."

To Gabral she said, “He pushed hisself into me tent an’ grabbed me an’ started pawin at me an’ tellin me ta be quiet. But I knocked him off an’ hit him with me boot an’ kicked him. An’ now I’m gonna kill him.”

“She’s a lying whore,” said Cridan. He stepped toward her, but Kevlin stopped him with the spear against his chest.

Their eyes met, and Kevlin said simply, “One more step and you’re a dead man.”

Part of him hoped Cridan would take that step.

“Let him go, Kevlin,” Ceren said. She gripped the hilt of her sword so tight her fingers gleamed white in the darkness. “Let him show me how he treats a lady.”

“Enough,” Gabral warned. “Cridan, I don’t like your tone or your words.”

“We can summon Harafin,” Leander said. “It is a simple matter to cast Truth on each of them.”

Without warning, Cridan knocked Kevlin’s spear aside, ducked the shaft, and ran for the trees.

“Catch him,” Gabral ordered, and several of the men gave chase.

Ceren moved faster.

Before Gabral finished speaking, she threw her sword. The blade spun low and slashed into Cridan’s legs, tripping him. He tumbled to the ground with a cry, but surged to his feet again immediately.

Jerrik’s fist met him as he rose and drove him back to the ground. The huge Donarri captain hauled Cridan to his feet where he hung limp in Jerrik’s grip.

“I believe we have our answer,” Leander declared.

“Aye,” Gabral said.

“Good throw,” Adalia said to Ceren with a fierce grin.

“Thank you.” She accepted her sword from one of the other soldiers.

“Execute him,” Gabral ordered Jerrik. The big man dragged Cridan away.

“Thank ye,” Adalia said to Gabral.

“When justice needs to be done, I see to it.” He cast a dark look at Kevlin before turning away.

“Justice was served,” Leander agreed.

They returned to the fire where Gabral told Harafin what had happened. “Curse that fool,” Harafin said. “I’ll see if the shouting alerted the fort.” He closed his eyes, and once again a yellow glow gathered around his face.

Only a few minutes passed before Harafin’s eyes popped open, and he clutched Kevlin’s shoulder.

“Sentinels,” Harafin said.

“What?”

“There is a large group of sentinels less than half a mile away. They sensed my presence, and they’re coming fast.”

“Are they allied with Tanathos?” Gabral asked.

“I do not know.”

“Maybe that’s what they’ve been waiting for,” Ceren said. “Reinforcements.”

“How many?” Leander asked.

“About a dozen,” Harafin said.

Ceren gasped. “So many? How is it possible?”

Kevlin hadn’t heard of so many sentinels gathered outside of the enclaves since the last war.

“Colonel, assemble your men,” Harafin ordered. “Retreat to the south side of the clearing. If they prove hostile, we’re in grave danger.”