Horns rang out, echoing along the forest road. Drem looked over his shoulder, saw the warband rippling to a halt. He ground his teeth, turned to look ahead. The road continued into shadow, bordered on their left by a wall of trees, branches arching overhead. To Drem’s right a wide, sluggish river flowed, winding its way to the Bay of Ripa. Patches of sky were visible, angled beams of sunlight from the sinking sun sparkling on the river and sending shadows stretching along the road.
“Why are we stopping?” Drem called to Cullen, the sense of dread in his belly flaring.
We are too late, the battle is under way. How can we stop now?
Cullen shrugged, his own desperation for speed etched on his face.
“Horses to the river,” a voice cried out. Elgin, Nara’s battlechief, was leading the vanguard of Ardain’s warriors to the river’s edge. Warriors dismounted, knelt to refill water bottles, horses’ heads dipping to drink.
From further down the line Rab fluttered above the warband, squawking Drem’s name.
“Byrne wants you,” Rab croaked at Drem and Cullen. Drem touched his reins, Friend turning and lumbering back down the forest road, Cullen riding in the emptiness of his wake. Warriors hurried out of their way.
Byrne was standing amongst the first line of trees, a handful of figures around her—Ethlinn and Balur, Tain with Craf upon his shoulder, Queen Nara and Kill. Byrne was holding the book she had found upon Coralen’s skeleton in the cabin.
“Drem,” Byrne said as he joined them. “Riv is close to you and Cullen. Did she speak to you of the fall of Drassil? Specifically, of her rescue of Meical?”
“She spoke of the priestess Fritha and the winged draig,” Drem said.
“Aye,” Cullen nodded.
“And Meical, when she lifted him into the sky?”
“Did she speak of starstone metal that had encased him and Asroth?” Craf squawked impatiently. “Craf saw it when Cywen made it, like black oil, all over them.”
“Be polite,” Tain whispered, stroking Craf’s neck.
“No, Riv never spoke of it,” Cullen said, shaking his head.
Drem frowned, searching his memories. “She said the skin of starstone metal exploded, the blast of it throwing all in the chamber to the ground.”
“But what happened to the metal?” Queen Nara asked.
Drem and Cullen shrugged.
“Riv did not say,” Cullen said. “In truth, I think she was more focused on escape.”
“A fair point,” Balur said.
“Why?” Drem asked.
Byrne looked at the book in her hands. “There may be an answer to our war with the Kadoshim, but we need starstone metal. A lot of it.”
“Perhaps it is still in Drassil,” Balur rumbled. “If it was shattered and blown in all directions by the explosion. Like stone smashed by a war-hammer.”
“Would Asroth just leave it there?” Ethlinn mused.
“Impossible to know.” Byrne grimaced. With a snap she closed the book. “Well, if no other answer comes to light, then we must return to Drassil, when we can, and search for the starstone metal. But not today.” She smiled grimly at them. “Today we ride to battle and blood.” She looked at the warband spread along the forest road, many remounting now, water bottles filled, the thirst of their mounts slaked.
“A black-bladed knife,” Drem whispered.
“What? Speak up,” Craf squawked.
“I saw a black-bladed knife, at Brikan,” Drem said. “It cut through Keld’s coat of mail as if it was nothing.”
“A new starstone weapon?” Ethlinn growled.
“Who wielded it?” Byrne said.
“Gulla’s half-breed daughter,” Drem said.
Byrne nodded slowly. “We must consider the possibility of new starstone weapons, then, and if Asroth allows warriors such as that to wield one, then there must be more.”
“It will make him stronger,” Ethlinn said.
“Aye,” Byrne said, looking at the ground. She shrugged and looked at them all. “But forewarned is forearmed, and this was never going to be an easy fight. We must fight it one step at a time, first we must get to Ripa, and I fear we will not reach its walls before the sun sets, but we must try.”
Grunts of agreement. They had abandoned their baggage train two days ago, packing provisions for a few days and riding hard for Ripa, making the most of every moment of daylight, and walking further during the night, but they were still not close enough.
Drem climbed back onto Friend’s back.
We must try, he thought. Riv is there, fighting for her life.