WE EMERGED INTO THE STRONGHOLD’S main bailey to find chaos.

A mass of people had pressed into a great throng before the keep doors. When I first emerged into the open, I thought they were pressing forwards, seeking safety in the keep itself. But after a moment I realized that these did not look like refugees. They were young and hale people, and they were listening attentively to commands shouted at them by Telfer soldiers in armor, standing on whatever platform they could find, desperately barking orders.

Mag seized the arm of a passing guard. “Where is the battle?” she demanded.

The guard stopped looking her up and down for a moment. “In the city, of course,” she said.

“The dale?” I said.

“Yes. Lord Telfer led her forces into the streets. They are trying to slow the trolls’ advance while the rest of the city escapes.”

“If these people are trying to escape, why do they look like they are forming for battle?” I said.

“These ones are,” she said. “Everyone who can fight has been commanded to do so. The rest are taking the western pass out of the mountains.”

I took Mag’s arm. “To the city with us, then.”

We ran for the main gate. It stood open, and more people were still pushing their way through. We had to force our way through the crowd. Mag led the way, for as with so many things, she seemed to have a particular knack for threading through the mass. But once we were in the open again, we stopped to take in the sight before us. A mass of people was making its way up from the dale, clogging the roads. When they reached the Telfer stronghold, they split into three columns, one passing in through the gate, and the two others curling around it to keep traveling west.

“I wish we had our horses,” said Mag.

“They would not help us,” I said. “We cannot ride through the crowd and trample these people, and besides, they would bolt at the first sign of the trolls. I will take us on the side streets.”

A peal of overjoyed barking drew our attention. We turned to see Oku streaking towards us. He leaped around our feet, yapping and licking our hands and then retreating to bark some more.

“We are glad you are here as well, Oku,” I said. “Even Mag.”

“Hm,” said Mag, who had scratched Oku behind the ears just as much as I had, though she tried to look aloof while she did it. “Let us not waste any more time. If our last tumble with the trolls was any indication, your sister is not having an easy time of it.”

I nodded and led the way into the city. We avoided the main roads, and I took them down any side streets I could remember. But even those avenues were full of people, Kahaunga natives who knew their way better than I did and who wanted to escape. We pressed through them as quickly as we could.

It was quite clear when we reached the battle at last.

We slid to a halt in the center of a wide square as a roar ripped through the air. Mag lifted her spear, and I raised my bow. A squadron of Telfer soldiers came pelting into view, fear on their faces.

A troll was just behind them.

I fired as Mag leaped to the attack. My arrow bounced from the troll’s shoulder. It did not so much as flinch. But it did stop in its pursuit of the soldiers and focused on Mag, who stood firm before it, her feet wide, her weapon ready. Oku joined her, bristling and growling.

“Albern,” called Mag. “Do you have any ideas?”

“Try not to die.”

The troll snarled and swung for her. Mag dived to the side. Oku snapped at the troll’s massive fist, but darted out of the way as it pressed forwards.

I turned to the soldiers. They had stopped in their flight and now stood in a cluster around me, staring in wonder at the sight of Mag facing the troll with only a wolfhound to join her.

“Oil! Who has oil?”

One of the soldiers blinked at me as though she did not understand. But finally she pulled a flask of it from her belt. “This is the last one we have.”

“Someone give me a torch!” I barked.

“We lost them,” said one of the soldiers. “We would not have retreated if we had fire.”

Growling in frustration, I spared a glance for Mag. She had the troll chasing her all around the square, always staying just out of its grasp. Her flight looked desperate, but I could not tell if she was merely leading it on. Oku trailed behind the troll, sometimes snapping at its ankles, but he did not distract it at all.

“We have to get fire,” I said. “Now.”

“The … the buildings,” said a soldier. “Some are—”

I looked past him. To the north, where the battle was thickest, smoke rose into the air. I shoved the flask of oil into his hand.

“Land this on that troll,” I said. “Do not miss.”

Several of them had arrows wrapped with pitch-covered rags. I snatched two up and sprinted for the smoke.

Three houses down, I found one with flames licking at the outer wall. I thrust the arrows into the flames, and they caught at once. Turning, I sprinted back for the square.

The troll no longer pressed Mag so closely, but I soon saw why. The soldiers had fanned back out around the two of them, trying to distract it so the one with the flask could throw it. Two had been killed. Their bodies lay at the edges of the square, limbs twisted at odd angles.

I readied one of the arrows. “Do it!” I roared.

The soldier looked back at me. In his terror, he almost dropped the flask.

“Now! What are you waiting for?”

He looked ready to faint. But he turned and threw.

The flask sailed over the troll’s head. It shattered against a distant wall, the oil splattering over a square area three paces wide.

The soldier turned to look back at me in horror. I was just as shocked as he was.

“It is the size of a house!” I cried. “How could you miss?”

His limbs shook, but he gave no reply.

“All right, all of you, get out,” I commanded. “If you can, find another unit and join them. If you cannot, retreat to the keep.”

They ran to do as I ordered, scooping up their fallen comrades and carrying them off. I still held my arrow ready, but the flame was useless now. It would not pierce the troll’s hide, and without oil, I could not hope to catch it in a blaze.

Mag’s desperate turns and dodges were bringing her closer to me with every step. I edged backwards. I could not abandon her to fight alone, but I was out of ideas. In the heat of battle, I could not hurt the troll any more than Mag could, and neither could I dodge its wild blows as well as she.

She glanced over and seemed to notice me for the first time. “Where is the oil?” she called out, ducking the troll’s huge fist as it whirled through the air where her head had just been.

“All over that building,” I said, pointing. “The fool missed.”

Mag had to leap backwards as the troll’s hands crashed into the street with a punishing blow. “He missed?” she cried. “It is as big as a house!”

“I told him.”

She looked over at the building again, and then at me. The troll paused for a moment, eyes narrowing, looking for an opening.

“Light it,” said Mag.

The troll snorted and stepped forwards.

“What?” I said, incredulous.

“Light it!” she said, running for the building. The troll screamed in rage as it went after her.

I understood almost too late. Raising the bow, I drew. The flames danced in front of my eyes, almost obscuring Mag with waves of heat. She skidded to a stop in front of the building and turned to face the troll head-on. It was in a full charge now, thundering straight for her.

I loosed. Mag dodged aside at the last possible moment.

The troll and the arrow hit the oil at the same time.

Flames erupted all over the building, just as it collapsed inwards with a crash that shook the ground. Oil from the timbers spread all over the troll’s body, covering it with flames. The troll’s furious roaring turned to panicked bleats of fear. It slapped at itself, trying to put out the flames. But the folk of Tokana had had centuries to perfect their craft, and the oil continued to burn.

Shrieking in terror, the troll turned and ran from the square. Mag looked very much as though she wanted to pursue it, but she stayed put. The building continued to burn, the flames gradually climbing higher until the roof caught as well.

“Are you all right?” I said.

“It did not touch me. Some of your sister’s soldiers were not so fortunate.”

“Speaking of which,” I said, “we should get moving. The battle goes on without us.”

Mag nodded, and we turned to head north. But suddenly there came the sound of tramping feet down the city street towards us. A company of Telfer soldiers came into view. They were not exactly running, but they were clearly in retreat. At their head was Ditra. Her face was smudged with soot and sweat, and there was an ugly cut on her cheek. Her armor was dented in several places, and I thought I detected a limp in her step.

Her steps faltered as she caught sight of us, and the company ground to a halt. I could see the fury rising in her, and her hand tightened on her axe.

“What in the dark below—”

“We heard there was a battle,” I said. “I thought you might be able to use us.”

“You broke out?” she said. “Who did you—”

“We harmed no one, I promise you,” I said.

“And we just saved a squadron of your soldiers,” added Mag.

Ditra’s gaze flashed to her. “What?”

“A troll pursued them into this square,” I said. “Mag held it off while I used oil and fire upon it.”

Sheer shock seemed to wipe the anger from Ditra’s face. “You faced a troll alone?”

I watched as Mag struggled not to look haughty, and she almost succeeded. “You said you have heard of me.”

A crash sounded from behind the soldiers—a fair distance away, but not far enough for comfort. Ditra glanced back for a moment, and when she turned back, there was a resigned look upon her face.

“If you are willing to aid our fight against the trolls, I suppose I cannot turn you away,” she said. “But you will do exactly as my officers and I command, when we command it.”

“Of course.” I bowed low, and then remembered my decorum. “Rangatira.”

“Then follow us. We are pulling back to the stronghold.”

“But the trolls—” Mag began.

“Mag,” I said. She stopped short. “Do as she says.”

She cocked her head, and the corner of her lips twisted. She nodded to Ditra. “Very well, Rangatira.”

Ditra nodded and started off, and we fell into step beside her. “We cannot stop the trolls in the city,” she said. “We have given our people enough time to flee to the keep, if they mean to fight, or to the pass, if they do not. Our duty now is to consolidate our forces and hold the trolls.”

“How long do you mean to hold them?” I said.

Her eyes were grim. “As long as we can.”

Dotag stood in the middle of the burning city, his chest heaving, his breath coming out in loud snorts that turned to mist in the air. The humans had fled from their city. He had walked such a long road to get here, and now it was almost over. He could hardly have dreamed that he would be here one day, standing triumphant among the wreckage of the humans’ homes, leading a pack greater than any troll had ever commanded.

He roared, throwing his head back and slamming his fists into his chest. Several trolls around him recoiled at the sound of his voice, but when they saw him celebrating their victory, they raised their voices in chorus with his.

At last he subsided as one of the trolls brought him a handful of crops pillaged from one of the human’s homes. It was only the first of many tributes he would receive tonight. With a pack of two hundreds, Dotag could hardly imagine the mountain of goods that would be brought before him, for him to pick and choose from, sharing the tastiest morsels with—

Dotag stopped. His brows drew together, lowering over beady eyes as he swung back and forth, searching his surroundings.

Where had Gatak gone?