Tatiana watched as a distraught Marakhova paced. There could be only one reason—the defence of the Volstrum was not going according to plan.
“This is taking far too long,” fumed the matriarch. She turned from the window to regard Voltana. “Why haven’t we repulsed the attacks?”
“We are trying, Matriarch, but their warriors are too numerous. We have, however, halted their advance.”
“How much of the Volstrum do they control?”
“Only a few corridors and a handful of rooms captured in their initial assault this morning. They’ve made no further progress since.”
“It’s not enough! If we are to win this day, we must push them back into the streets.” She moved to a nearby table and picked up a goblet, but as she raised it to her lips, she noticed it was empty. “Lydia. Get me another bottle of the Radetsky Red.”
Tatiana smiled. In the rush of the attack, they’d forgotten her morning’s dose of magebane. She remained manacled but felt her magic returning. The question now was how to stop her captors from realizing their mistake. She decided the best course of action was to keep Marakhova angry. “You won’t win. Natalia will press on until no one is left standing. You made a mistake sending people after her child.”
“Do not speak to me of mistakes, Tatiana. I trusted you with the Volstrum while you worked against me the whole time.”
The matriarch returned to the window, staring at the enemy watching from across the street. Natalia was amongst them, distinctive with her pale skin and jet-black hair.
“Surely she doesn’t believe she can take the Volstrum?” Marakhova muttered.
“Why not?” said Tatiana. “She burned down Stormwind Manor easily enough.”
“That was a fluke. She surprised us then, whereas we are fully prepared now.” She looked at Voltana. “Tell our warriors to prepare for a counterattack.”
“You mean to drive them from the building?” asked the grand mistress.
“In time, but I will be content with bleeding them dry for now. I want all senior instructors to the front of the building; we’ll begin there.”
“And the other points of attack?”
“Tell them they may fall back if necessary, but only if they make our attackers suffer for every step.”
“This would be easier if we had some Sartellians. Is there some way to contact them?”
“Fool. Don’t you think I’ve already tried? Our cousins refused to come to our aid, hoping to enrich their standing at our expense. Now go, Voltana, and carry out my orders, or shall I replace you too.”
The grand mistress fled.
Lydia took a hesitant step forward.
“What is it?” snapped Marakhova.
“Your wine, Matriarch.”
“Put it on the table. I shall see to it myself.”
Lydia backed up, remaining near the door.
Again, Marakhova stared out the window, her gaze fixated on Natalia. “What is she up to? She must realize the futility of this attack?” Suddenly, she turned, staring off to the left as if a realization had just hit her. “She’s not after the Volstrum!”
“Matriarch?” said Lydia.
“Natalia is not after the Volstrum. She’s after something far more valuable.”
“Which is?”
“The Baroshka.”
“I don’t know what that is,” replied Lydia.
“It is a secret repository of our most powerful spells; its existence is known to only a few.” Her gaze snapped to her prisoner. “And that includes you, doesn’t it? I should’ve realized it when I discovered you were helping her.”
“I’m surprised you know of it,” said Tatiana. “Illiana told me it was a carefully guarded secret.”
“You forget. I was grand mistress here before you. Did you truly believe a mage of my power wouldn’t know?”
“But she cannot reach it; you control the Volstrum.”
Marakhova’s eyes bored into her. “Unless you allowed her to commit the magic circle to memory. That’s it, isn’t it? At last, your true treachery is revealed.” She wagged her finger. “You shall pay for this with your life, I assure you, but I must act quickly to prevent this mad scheme of Natalia’s. Call my guards, Lydia.”
Lydia stepped outside the room, summoning the guards.
“I may die,” said Tatiana, “but I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve been beaten.”
Sounds of boots drew closer, and a warrior appeared at the door. “We await your command, Matriarch.”
“Lydia, you stay here and keep an eye on our… guest. I’ll deal with her on my return. Come along, Captain.”
She strode through the doorway, her footsteps heavy.
“She wasn’t lying about killing me,” said Tatiana. “Do you really want to be implicit in murder?”
“You betrayed the family,” replied Lydia.
“Did I, or did I serve it?”
“Don’t try to confuse me with your false sense of loyalty. You betrayed the matriarch.”
“I served Illiana. She wanted to save the family.”
“Save it? How?”
“By turning it from a dark path. Look around you—see what’s happening. Marakhova will be the ruin of us all.”
“She is a powerful mage,” insisted Lydia.
“Remember how powerful Natalia was? You were in the same class. Can you stand there and tell me you believe Marakhova is her equal?”
“Natalia may be more powerful, but she turned her back on us.”
“Wouldn’t you, given the same circumstances? They tried to kidnap her child, Lydia. You, of all people, should understand that. What would you be willing to do to save the life of your son?”
Athgar watched as they carried Raleth out of the Volstrum on a litter. He moved to intercept, looking down on the injured warrior. Blood soaked his mail, and a deep gash on his chest was evidence of the ferocity of the fight.
“Take him to the healers,” said Athgar.
The young commander reached out, grabbing his arm with blood-soaked fingers. “It’s no use,” he said, his breathing laboured. “We’ve only captured three rooms and a section of corridor. Every time we launch a fresh attack, they respond with magic. They were casting ice shards but tried a different tactic this time.”
“Which was?”
“They flooded the floor by conjuring water, then froze it, making it impossible for us to move. Their warriors advanced, and we only defeated their counterattack thanks to Hilwyth’s archers. We took heavy casualties.” He lifted himself up partway, watching as more of the Thane Guard hobbled past, victims of severe frostbite. “I’m sorry, Lord, but we can’t keep this up.”
“I hear you,” said Athgar. “I’ll bring this news to Natalia.” His attention shifted to the bearers. “Take him to Shaluhk.”
He watched them carry off Raleth. This was not the news he’d hoped for. It was now late afternoon, and their assault had ground to a halt. He spotted Kargen and wandered over.
“You have news?” he asked.
“Nothing good, I am afraid. Garag’s glaives got inside the stables, but I fear they will make no further progress, for the Stormwinds have carefully prepared their defences.”
“Any news from Kragor?”
“Yes, though it is also not good. They got farther inside than the rest of us but were driven back to their entry point in a fierce counterattack. They only hold one room and a section of corridor, and I doubt it will be long before they are overwhelmed. I sent additional hunters to relieve those from the latest assault, but I fear it is a losing proposition.”
“We must do something,” said Athgar.
“I agree, but what?”
They made their way over to Natalia, but she wouldn’t meet Athgar’s gaze.
“We are failing,” he called out. “At this rate, we’ll be out of warriors by nightfall.”
“It’s all my fault,” replied Natalia. “I never took the family’s resolve into account.” Their eyes finally met, and he saw the sorrow behind hers. “What have I done?” she asked. “Hundreds are going to die, and to what end? It would have been better to ignore them.”
“Yes, we’ll suffer heavy losses,” said Athgar, “but that pales in comparison to how many will die if we do nothing.”
“Why do only our people have to pay the price?”
“We could always call on the masters of magic from Ard-Gurslag.”
“We can’t do that, not after Garag’s warning. It only supports their plans of conquest.”
“Would it not be better to sacrifice Ruzhina to ensure the safety of our home?”
“If the Orcs of Ard-Gurslag go to war,” said Natalia, “I doubt they’d stop at Ruzhina.”
“Then perhaps we should abandon this campaign and go home?”
She sighed. “We can’t. If we withdraw, we’d only be inviting the family to come after us.”
“With what? We have an army to defend us.”
“Despite recent events, the family still holds sway over most of the Petty Kingdoms. The last thing we need is another crusade marching into our lands.”
“What other option do we have?” said Athgar. “Our attacks are failing, our losses mounting, and we have no surprises left to spring on our enemies. Any way you look at it, we’re losing this battle.”
She stared at the Volstrum, her face tightening.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“We need a way to finish this, once and for all.”
“That way being?”
“I’m open to suggestions. Gather the others; we’ll meet here, out in the open. The fresh air will help us think.”
“I shall find them,” offered Kargen.
They met across the street from the Volstrum’s front door. Galina and Katrin were there, along with Cordelia and Kargen, but Shaluhk was busy caring for the wounded. Belgast rounded out the group, though he looked none too pleased with their current circumstances.
“Have you a plan?” asked Cordelia.
“Not at present,” replied Natalia. “I thought, between us, we might devise some way of salvaging this assault.”
“I could send in my Temple Knights?”
Belgast shook his head. “No offence, but I doubt that would do any good. It’s not as if you could squeeze your horses into those corridors, and they would freeze your knights to the floor as easily as they did our warriors.”
“What if we tried breaking through another wall?” asked Kargen. “Perhaps on the opposite side from Kragor’s attack?”
“We would still have the same problems. We need a different approach, something they wouldn’t be expecting.”
“How about a tunnel?” said Katrin. “Didn’t you use that to get into Ebenstadt?”
“We did,” replied Kargen, “but it was a long process, taking days.”
“Yes,” added Belgast. “By the time we broke through, no one would be left to fight.”
“Hang on,” said Galina. “What about the Baroshka?”
“What’s that?” asked Cordelia.
“A spell repository beneath the Volstrum.”
“How does that help us?”
“There’s a magic circle there. We could use it to get people inside.”
“That doesn’t help us,” said Belgast. “Yes, we’d get some of our warriors inside, but as soon as they’re discovered, we’d be bogged down, just like our other attacks.”
“I might have a better way to deal with this,” said Natalia. “I’m just not sure if it would work.”
“Go on,” urged the Dwarf.
“If I’m not mistaken, a tributary of the Mitchutskin runs beneath the Volstrum.”
“Yes,” said Galina. “That’s right. We used its waters in some of our rituals. You’re not suggesting we use an underground river to enter the building?”
“No. I propose we use the river to destroy the Volstrum on our behalf.”
“That would require a tremendous amount of power,” said Katrin. “I doubt even you could accomplish that.”
“Ah, but if we were in the Baroshka, I could use the magic circle to amplify my power.”
“To do what? Flood the lower floors? You’d only be drowning yourself.”
“Yes,” said Athgar, “but she can breathe water with the proper spell.”
“Perhaps,” said Galina, “but using a spell to breathe underwater does not let one cast a spell. The words of power are precise; any mispronunciation would result in failure.”
Athgar’s shoulders slumped. “Then we’re back to the beginning.”
“There must be something we can do?” said Belgast. “Does this repository hold a lot of paper?”
“It does,” replied Natalia.
“Could we set fire to it and burn them out?”
“The building is made of stone.”
“True,” said the Dwarf, “but smoke makes breathing difficult.”
“The Volstrum is too large,” noted Athgar, “and even if it wasn’t, we’d be smoking out our own people.”
“Hold on,” said Katrin. “I just thought of something.”
“Which is?”
“When we were in Beorwic, Natalia used the standing stones to create a great storm.”
“Yes,” replied Athgar, “but there are no standing stones here, and even if there were, how does a rainstorm hurt those safely ensconced inside a building?”
“Ah, but I doubt every confluence of ley lines has standing stones above it. Could there be a node deep beneath the Volstrum?”
“I hadn’t considered that,” replied Natalia. “What do you think, Galina?”
“It would explain why the family chose this particular location to build. If I recall my history, they levelled several blocks of houses. Surprising, when they could have easily built on the outskirts of the city.”
“Assuming that’s true,” said Katrin, “how does that help us?”
“I can use an arch to get to the Baroshka,” replied Natalia. “Then, I can harness the power of the ley lines to weaken the building from below.”
“Are you suggesting you’ll collapse it in on itself?”
“Quite possibly,” replied Natalia, “though I can’t say for certain. It depends on how much water is in the underground river.”
“But if this works, the weight of the building will crush you too.”
“A small sacrifice to defeat the family.”
“No!” shouted Athgar. “I won’t hear of it.”
“Not so fast,” said Galina. “I know the circle of which she speaks. I can create an arch out here, allowing her an escape route.”
Natalia turned to her husband. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s our only chance to stop Marakhova.”
“There must be another way!”
“This is our best option.”
He gritted his teeth. “Then I’m going with you.”
“You can’t; someone has to look after Oswyn.”
“I’m not losing you. If you’re meant to travel to the Afterlife, I’ll be there, holding your hand.”
Kargen gently touched Natalia’s arm. “He has made his choice, Nat-Alia. You must respect it. Should you both perish, Shaluhk and I will look after Oswyn. I give you my word.”
“This is madness,” said Belgast. “Even if you use your magic to enter this Babooshka place…”
“Baroshka,” corrected Galina.
“Whatever it’s called, has it occurred to you it might be guarded? You could appear in that circle only to be cut down by swords.”
“That is a risk I’m willing to take,” said Natalia.
“As am I,” added Athgar.
“Well, if you’re so determined to throw your lives away to defeat the Stormwinds, I’m going with you.”
“So am I,” said Katrin. “I may not be the most powerful Water Mage in these parts, but I can use my magic to help keep a few guards at bay. I owe them that much for sending me to the mines.”
“Very well,” said Natalia, “but we must make arrangements before we go. The last thing we want is to bring the building crashing down with our people inside.”
“When do you wish to carry out this plan?” asked Kargen.
“The sooner, the better.”
“I shall inform Garag he needs to withdraw his glaives.”
“I will tell Kragor,” offered Cordelia. “What about the Thane Guard?”
“Hilwyth commands them now,” replied Athgar. “I’ll send word.”
“This will be difficult to coordinate,” said Natalia. “If we go too soon, we risk killing our own people, too late, and the defenders could swarm us in the Baroshka. You must keep them busy until the very last moment.”
“We shall coordinate using the shamans,” replied Kargen. “We will watch your progress through Galina’s arch.”
“We’ll spread the word,” said Cordelia. “Galina, you’d best come with me. We need to find a safe place to cast your spell. If this works, we can’t predict how much of the ground will collapse.”
They all left Athgar and Natalia, heading out to inform the others of their plan, save for Kargen and Belgast. “It is not easy to say farewell, my friends,” started Kargen, his voice choking up. “You are both family. I understand your reasoning, but your loss will be felt throughout the tribe, perhaps even the entire Continent. The world of Eiddenwerthe will not be the same without you.”
“You’ve done great things for the Red Hand,” said Athgar, “and I hope you and Shaluhk continue to prosper. I’m not eager to die, but it will be easier with the knowledge our sacrifice gives the tribe a safe and secure future.” He turned to Belgast. “And you, my friend. How can words ever express our gratitude at having you by our side during our final moments?”
“Now you’ve done it,” said Belgast. “You’ve gone and made me cry.”