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The work to repair the gatehouse had gone at a pace surpassing Elodi’s expectations. But restoration of her once beautiful city would take many months, possibly two years to complete. She had ridden out to the plain to give thanks to the workforce who had the unenviable task of clearing and burying the enemy dead. As the sun began its descent, and the men and women returned to safety behind the walls, Elodi chose to stay a while longer and give Sea Mist a chance to gallop across the cleansed land. But if she thought the rare moment to spend time alone would clear her head, she was mistaken. As Sea Mist gladly sped through the cool evening air, Elodi’s decisions of late, clouded her mind. Rightly or wrongly, she and her Council had ruled against taking back Drunsberg. Captain Cubric had reported no signs of their foes venturing forth, so she had been satisfied to leave them holed up inside the mine for the time being. Besides, until she knew of events at the Caerwal Gate, she was reluctant to commit a large force anywhere other than Calerdorn. But no word had yet been received from either Bardon or Archonholm.

Elodi glanced back to the towers, standing tall against the reddening sky. Consolidate, always secure your position. The words of her father had much to do with her decision. Calerdorn was vital to the future of her realm. A strong city would provide the foundation for all actions in the near future. And while she still had the service of the Celestra, she had hope. As long as she could secure supplies from the south of Harlyn, she could hold their position, or at least put up a fight to make the creatures of Nordruuk think twice before launching another raid.

The ground rose. Elodi looked up, surprised she had ridden so far from the walls. She slowed, turned Sea Mist, and let him stand. To the north, the red-tinged peaks of the Dornan Mountains drew her eye. The occupied fort at Draegnor beyond, had split the members of the Council. Ultimately, Elodi had cast her deciding vote as its head to rule out an attempt to recapture the old fort. It pained her to leave it in the hands of the enemy, as it left a wide part of her border open, but she was unwilling to take it back at a cost of depleting her army. After a long debate, they reached a compromise. They dispatched a small force to keep watch, while informing the Ruuk they could not expect to have a free reign over her realm. Should they ride out, they were to withdraw and defend the narrow pass at Tunduska’s Gorge while waiting for reinforcements.

Elodi nudged Sea Mist, and he readily set off. The saddle rose as his head and neck lowered and his stride lengthened. Elodi tilted with him as his power surged. She cried out, not caring who would hear. ‘Ride, Misty, ride!’ He shot forward, streaking across the plain as if barely skimming the surface. Rising in the saddle, she yelled her defiance into the wind. They sped towards the city. Elodi’s heart swelled as Calerdorn’s towers loomed ever higher into the evening sky. They had stood against far greater foes in the past, and Elodi vowed they would endure under her rule. Harlyn would not fall. Let the full force of the enemy come. Let them break on the solid walls of her city like waves on the impregnable cliffs of Dorn. Let them—

Her eyes fell upon the small pile of stones commemorating the knights lost in the battle. Sea Mist eased to a canter, bringing Elodi back to the reality of her precarious situation. While they could rebuild the walls of Calerdorn, the gaps in her ranks could not easily be filled. But the forces at her command had proved themselves once, and she believed they could be victorious again, if used wisely. A single wrong move could spell the downfall of her realm.

One at a time, with an eye on your next three moves. Her father’s advice on playing the board game, Squares, came to mind. As a young girl, she had sulked for hours following defeat, but her father asserted she would learn nothing if he let her win. Now she appreciated why he insisted she played both him and Wendel when she detested losing so much. But she could recall every move the first time she had beaten her father at fourteen. At times you had to sit back and wait for your opponent to reveal their strategy. Later, you might take the game to them with an unexpected move, catching them on the hop, letting them make the first mistake. The hardest part was to balance caution with boldness.

Until now, her foes had been in control. Even when she thought she had taken the initiative at Durran Wood, Uleva had been one step ahead. But unlike Squares, if the Archon failed, Elodi would face two opponents on the other side of the board, and both would command many more pieces. And what of Uluriel? Did the woman who drove the Archon to the brink of defeat, still live? Uluriel had pushed the immense forces of the Seven Realms to the brink of destruction; Elodi could only hope if Uluriel had not perished in the last battle, at the very least, the conflict diminished her powers.

Elodi looked back to the memorial. As soon as she could, she planned to build another, fit to honor all the two hundred and eighty fallen. But that would have to wait. The living took priority, and her forces had to rebuild and prepare for the darker times she knew lay ahead.

Gundrul had been right about Ruan. Within ten days he was back on his feet, and in only seven more, he had reported fit for duty. But Aldorman had yet to rise from his bed. His wounds had become infected, along with many others, leading the apothecaries to suspect the enemy had used poisoned blades and arrows.

Sea Mist’s hooves clattered on the road as he took Elodi back to the gatehouse. The walls still bore the stains of Uldrak’s devilry, but much of the rubble had been cleared and the gaps had begun to fill. The evening workforce at the gate cheered as she entered. Elodi waved but still felt uneasy with the adulation as it only added to her sense of responsibility already weighing heavily on her young shoulders.

Still panting from her ride, she took two steps at a time to the top of the East Tower. But Wendel had beaten her to it. He glanced up from the small roll of paper as she burst through the door. She gasped between breaths. ‘Do we need Gundrul to translate?’

‘Bardon is true to his word, ma’am. As it had been four weeks since his last dispatch, I took the precaution of spending the day in the tower in readiness.’ He handed the paper to Elodi. ‘Such big news from such a small note.’