Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, 5) (4 page)

“You’d sag to the floor!”

“So?”

“Think of the children!” someone else shouted.

“Ladies, ladies!” Eloise rolled her eyes. “You are completely missing the point.”

“Until you resolve this, I’ll have a word with them,” Shanti said, trying to hide her smile. She would laugh in Sanders’ face if these women decided nudity should be more freely expressed.

“Fine—”

“Put this on the table for discussion, though,” someone cut off Eloise.

“You are too old for running around without a top.”

“Ladies!” Eloise scoffed. “Of all the things to get worked up about.” She took a deep breath as the room filled with the sound of shifting fabric and heavy breathing. “Now,” Eloise said when things had settled. “The next order of business is the Captain’s proposal. Where do you stand on that?”

“So romantic,” someone sighed.

“It’s not romantic to bring it up at a Circle meeting,” Valencia said with raised eyebrows.

“Did she refuse him?” someone asked from the back.

Shanti shifted, feeling something niggle at her awareness. Suddenly a blast of warning ripped through her mind. One of the Shadow sentries was sounding the alarm.

“I have to go!” Shanti jumped up and immediately stepped on the hem of her dress. She staggered, clutching Rohnan, who was there in a moment. “Get me out of this thing.”

Heart racing, fear tingling her fingers from memories of the past, she made herself stand still while Rohnan peeled her out of the expensive dress. Underneath she had a tight top and leggings, garments that would allow her to fight without being overly restrained under the dress.

“What’s happening?” Eloise asked as she heaved her body upward.

“Someone is in our lands.” Shanti kicked off the slippers and raced toward her sack at the door before ripping out her boots. “I should be halfway out there by now, not trying to get dressed.”

“Point made,” Eloise said somberly.

Rohnan, who had also been required to dress up, stripped off the silk top and pushed down his trousers.

“Now this I don’t mind,” one of the women said.

“Let’s go!” Shanti said through gritted teeth as another pop of warning blared through her mind. “There’s more than one.”

“I feel it.” Rohnan snatched up his sword and strapped it on as Shanti opened the door.

They raced out as Shanti pinpointed where everyone was. Her people were running toward whichever one of the city gates they were nearest to. Shadow did likewise, feeling the urgency and taking up their posts. She could feel Cayan’s anxiety, aware of what was happening but having to rely on speech to get his men in position.

Another warning blasted.
“Flak!”
Shanti said, veering right.

“Where are you going?” Rohnan kept pace.

“Horses…” Her breath came out in fast puffs. “They can…run faster…than we can.”

The first foreign mind solidified in Shanti’s consciousness as the cobblestone of the street ended and became torn-up dirt. The smell of horses assaulted her nose. She ripped open the stall to the Bloody Bastard as Sonson ran in behind her.

“Should we turn loose the beasts?” he asked, running toward his horse.

“Will they run rampant around the city?” Shanti launched a foot over her horse’s back and scrambled on. There was no time to saddle up.

“Tunston has been working diligently to train them where to exit the city. He’s confident.” Another gate squealed as Sonson went after his horse. “Those cats, though…”

Shanti locked on to the strange mind in her range, waited for more, and was immediately rewarded with another two. “The cats will wait for Cayan and I, I have no doubt.”

She was lying. She had a lot of doubt.

“Leave the beasts for now. There are only three. We aim to capture, not kill.”

More Shadow, and now the army started to file in. Shanti felt others running outside of the city, getting into position to surround the intruders.

“This is not an attack,” Rohnan said for Sonson’s benefit as he climbed on his horse. “This is Xandre’s way of collecting information. He has no problem sending men in, even though, toward the end, he rarely received any back.”

“He’s talking about before the battle that ended our way of life,” Shanti said, clutching her horse’s mane. He pranced impatiently. “We waited for them to come with force. We cannot make that mistake again. We need to leave before it’s too late. Hopefully these men can give us information about Xandre’s plans.”

“They never have before,” Rohnan said quietly.

“Yaw!” Shanti dug her heels into the horse’s flank. The animal lurched into motion, his power and speed jolting Shanti backward.

“Bloody…hell.” She gripped with her knees and adjusted her balance, feeling the horse’s speed pick up to almost alarming levels. “No, no!” She clutched the coarse hair in her fists as she tried to steer around a corner. The horse’s hooves clattered and skidded, the animal stumbling before it righted again. “Too fast for— Look out!”

A woman screeched as she hustled out of the way. Others in the busy street ran to the sides, shock or disgruntlement on their faces. The Women’s Circle would no doubt put this on their agenda.

The open gate loomed in sight. Men stood around the chain, ready to close the doors and secure it if they received the command. “
Now
run, you bloody horse!” Shanti dug her heels into its flanks and leaned forward.

With a burst of speed, the horse rushed through the gates, stretching its legs and putting distance between it and those behind her. She held on for dear life, her jaw clenched tight, fighting for control.

Another mind came within her range. Like a vivid dream, Shanti clearly remembered the type of mind she felt. Cunning and analytical, he was a quick thinker but slow mover, plotting his way forward with careful steps. It was Xandre’s ideal type for recovering information—he was making plans. They were a lot closer to battle than she’d realized.

A wash of fear had her leaning to the right, directing the horse as much as it would let her. Trees streamed by. Sentries looked down at her, she felt many within her
Gift,
waiting for the emotional cues they knew would come. They’d had so little time, but they’d made great progress so far.

Yet another mind came into her map. The same type of man—she could feel his watchfulness as he neared one of the first sentries. A blast of fear colored his mind. He’d recognized the sentry as a Shadow, she had no doubt. He’d know the Shadow could feel him with the
Gift.

For a moment everything seemed to freeze. A decision was left in the balance. And then the man was in action. He moved away quickly in the direction he’d come.

“No! We have to get him!” Shanti urged her horse faster, before her heart jumped into her throat. Warning sirens pinged through her consciousness like pops in a fire. All round the city, one after the other, the sentries scrambled out of their trees and ran, aiming back for the gates.

In another few moments, she knew why.

A wall of enemy, surrounding the city, was advancing. This was the first wave of attack, and there had been no warning.

S
hanti yanked
on the Bloody Bastard’s mane as hard as she could, preparing to jump off if the accursed animal didn’t slow. Thankfully, the horse complied, almost throwing her as it jolted and bounced to a stop. She schooled her emotions to send a message to her people, making them run back toward the city.

The thunder of hooves behind her started to slow. “What is it?” Sonson’s eyes went wide and the color drained from Rohnan’s face. They could feel what she did.

“This isn’t like him,” Rohnan protested, turning his horse.

“Which is exactly why he’s doing it. He is way ahead of me.” Shanti ripped the mane around and dug in her heels. “Hurry!”

A black shape flashed by, followed by two more. The cats had found her and anticipated their direction. Good. They could be of use in the city. If anyone got over the walls, hopefully these animals could help take them down.

Shanti monitored the sentries. The Shadow and Shumas had been warned ahead of time. They’d collected their horses and would make it back without any problem. But they hadn’t stopped to inform Cayan’s people, who were relying solely on their eyes. The
Gifted
weren’t making themselves clear to those without it.

“Shortsighted,” she muttered in agony, slowing for the second time. She’d just discovered a gaping hole in her training.

Before she could turn the Bastard, a large black stallion barreled out of the city gate. Behind him came sleek and shining horses ridden by some of Cayan’s elite. She felt fighters with single-minded focus exiting through the other gates.

“He means to get the sentries,” she heard Rohnan say behind her. Cayan had figured out what she had, and reacted ten times faster.

That was why he was the Captain.

“C’mon!” She urged her horse on, riding to meet up with the others. When she was close, the Bastard fell in line naturally, easily keeping pace with Cayan’s stallion.

Spreading her mind along the line of enemy horses, thundering down on the sentries, some of which were only now climbing down from their trees, she
wrenched.

Equine screams rode the breeze. She
stabbed,
feeling the turmoil in the riders as their mounts bucked and kicked, dizzy with fear.

“Save your strength,” Rohnan shouted behind her.

He apparently thought she was a novice.

Behind the line of panicking horses rode another line, and then a horde of men on foot.

How had this many men moved so close without the Westwood Lands being warned? It didn’t seem possible.

A man in blue emerged through the trees, frantic, riding for all he was worth. A hundred yards behind him, between Cayan’s team and the Graygual, limped another. Determination radiated from him even though his situation had looked hopeless.

“Lucius!” Cayan called over his shoulder. The wind whipped his words away as the thundering of hooves drowned them out. But Cayan had his own way of communicating, built from years of working with his men.

He veered to the side, sending a feeling of
distance
to Shanti, having her veer the other way, opening up a hole to run around the struggling man so Lucius could make the grab.

And then they were on them.

Graygual looked up the instant before a thunder of power rocked the line of enemy. Men screamed, clutching at their chests. Shanti hit them a moment later,
slashing
through their brains and driving men to their knees.

Sunlight glinted off a sword as Cayan slashed downward. The Bloody Bastard hit the line a moment later, screaming wildly before rearing, lashing out with his front hooves. Red splashed as a head caved in. Shanti slashed a neck, dropping the man before readying another blast of power.

“We’re here long enough to get everyone secure,” Cayan shouted, piercing a man’s face with his blade before hacking down at someone else. His strokes were vicious and powerful.

Shanti monitored those around the city, identifying who was still outside the gates. On the far side, where the second largest cluster of Graygual approached, someone was in agony.

“We’d never make it in time,” Cayan yelled, feeling her discovery.

Shanti sent a request for aid to her people, hoping they remembered the difference between
her
needing help and someone else. She sliced down at an arm even as she tried to focus with all her person on the downed man.

A spark of understanding came from Kallon before she felt his action. Mela and Sayas were the next to give that spark of understanding. She didn’t know if they’d read her right, though. The system, despite their years of practice, was still imperfect.

“Shanti!” Lucius’ voice cut through her mental focus. She registered her surroundings a moment before she saw a black uniform with five stripes bear down. The flash of a sword announced a strike aimed right for her.

Reacting, she
struck,
piercing his brain before her arm could even lift to block. The sword kept coming; the Graygual officer had trained against excruciating mental pain and was not deterred. Suddenly she was weightless. Her body flew through the air, ass over end, as a horse scream cut through the clang of metal and shouts of men. Her body hit the ground in a painful thud as the scream sounded again.

Hooves swung up to the sky before crashing back down. The Bloody Bastard reared again, kicking out with his front legs. Blood dripped onto the ground below him. The sword must’ve sliced into his breast. Another scream and he turned, before bucking out with his powerful hind legs. The kick landed, punching a huge gash in the other horse to match the rips and scrapes from his previous attempts. The enemy animal reared, screaming his pain.

“Mesasha!”
A large hand reached into Shanti’s line of sight as the Graygual toppled from his horse, a knife sticking out of his ear. She grabbed the hand and allowed Cayan to hoist her up as she
slashed
with her mind, cutting into man and animal alike, taking down anything near her horse. He might be an asshole, but he was
her
asshole.

“Are you hurt?” Cayan asked as he threw her over his saddle and turned his horse toward the city.

She realized, belatedly, that another round of fighting had kicked off near the downed man on the other side of the city. Kallon had understood. He was fighting off the enemy to get to the fallen sentry.

“No. I don’t know. How’s my horse?”

“Hurt. He’s following us. Do you feel any pain?”

Shanti bounced and jostled, lying awkwardly across Cayan’s lap with the pommel digging painfully into her side. Her breath came hard, and her right thigh pounded.

“I’m okay. Probably.” She bent to try and look behind them. It was a futile effort. “How hurt?”

Cayan’s irritation was overridden by his anxiety. She felt his large hand on the center of her back before the horse picked up speed. Her body bounded on his lap, sending waves of pain through her middle.

“We have to go faster!” Lucius yelled from beside them.

“I can’t go any faster with her like this,” Cayan said. “And I can’t stop to right her. We’ll make it.”

“That grab was poor planning.” Shanti’s words came out as little more than a collection of grunts.

Shanti felt the enemy, chasing them back toward the city. Only a few were mounted, and she
seared
the minds of horses and riders at the same time. Screaming sounded behind them.

“Save your strength!” Rohnan yelled.

“For when? After they’ve caught us?” Another collection of grunts.

“We’ll make it,” Cayan said again. More hooves passed within Shanti’s sight before Cayan’s horse slowed. Shouts and voices grew louder as Cayan’s horse went through the partially opened gates.

Once inside, he stopped his horse and helped someone take her down off the saddle. She looked up and felt a rush of relief as the limping and bleeding Bloody Bastard trotted forward, his head hanging and his sides heaving.

“See to my horse!” she cried.

Someone ran forward, only to flinch back as the Bastard tried to take a bite out of the man’s shoulder.

“Damn you, you stupid animal.” Shanti felt like slapping him, but under the circumstances, that might be a little abrasive. Instead, she put a hand on his neck firmly, hoping he knew that she
would
slap him if she needed to. “Let someone help you.”

“That animal doesn’t understand you, you know.” Sanders marched up with a hard expression. “Gates are all closed. Archers are positioned on the walls. Everyone made it back in.”

Cayan gave Shanti a long look, no doubt trying to ascertain if her stance meant she was in pain. It did.

“I’m fine,” she said as someone hesitantly stepped closer to the Bastard. She paused long enough to make sure the horse would allow treatment, before she moved away with Cayan. “That came out of nowhere. How was that possible?”

“I don’t know,” Cayan said, rage lining his voice. “We’ve heard nothing about their approach.”

“The Graygual with the knife in his ear had five stripes.” Shanti checked her weapons, making sure she had everything. “I didn’t expect Xandre to engage so soon.”

“I saw two others with three stripes,” Sanders said, surveying their surroundings as they walked.

Up the street people bustled, rushing for the hold that would hide them away from attack. It wasn’t impregnable, and not everyone took refuge there, but if a small number of the enemy made it over the walls, most of the city people would be safe.

“They didn’t have any larger units able to break into the city,” Cayan said as they rounded a corner and headed to the practice yard where the majority of the army was getting prepared. “I was in front of the largest horde of Graygual, and I didn’t even see a battering ram.”

Like ghosts drifting out of the mist, Shumas jogged in from the sides, falling in behind Shanti, awaiting direction. The three large cats moved among them, sleek and deadly. Shanti noticed Sonson up ahead, his flare of red hair catching the sun as he waited with his men and women at the edge of the practice yard. Among them were the three beasts on chain leashes—as if that would help if those animals went berserk.

To Shanti, Cayan asked, “Did you sense any Inkna?”

“None. The upper-tiered officers would usually be protected. Not this time.”

Cayan shook his head, marching onto the packed dirt of the practice yard. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“What are your orders, sir?” Sanders asked, standing in front of the army.

“Reinforce the gates. They don’t have enough to surround the city with any density. Our archers can easily take down anyone that nears the wall. Get women up there, too. The time for hiding them is over. Make sure we have men and horses on the ground in case they produce a battering ram we haven’t seen. Take down anyone that comes within range.”

To Shanti he said, “Station the Shumas and Shadow around the wall with the archers. I want immediate communication if anything comes up.”

“With the amount of power we have in the city, we can kill or cripple them with a single surge,” Shanti said, motioning Sonson over. “We don’t have to get our hands dirty.”

“That’ll severely weaken us. I don’t know how he moved this many people without word reaching us. I wouldn’t have thought it possible. We have no idea how many more are out there, and I don’t want to leave us defenseless against a mental attack.”