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‘The Amayans are alive… but only just.’ Toryn spoke barely above a whisper to the company. ‘They’re weak from little food and the constant attention of the Nordleng and other beasts. There are four Amayans inside the fortress. But one is held separately. Three I have met, and trust me, their fighting skills are far superior to ours, even in their current state. The fourth is their leader, Amyra. I believe she surpasses even the others when it comes to combat. They could easily fight their way out if they weren’t so drained. All we have to do, is distract the Nordleng long enough to give them an opening.’

Gundrul eyed the gray walls of Vortimo. ‘That’s easier to say than to achieve. How many Nordleng are we up against?’

‘Fortunately, the Amayans have halved that number and killed three shrouls. That leaves about twenty Nordleng, two droogs and the remaining shroul.’ Toryn glanced to the younger guards in their company. ‘Do not get within ten paces of the droogs. They may look flabby and ungainly, but they can lash out with frightening speed at anything within their range. Go for their handlers. Kill them, and the droog will turn on its master. And avoid taking on a shroul alone. They’re stronger than they look, and they’ll soon freeze the blood in your veins. Attack in threes or fours. Take out their legs, then decapitate.’ Toryn smiled, attempting to make their task seem a little less daunting. ‘Trust me, they won’t trouble you after that.’

The captain rubbed his chin. ‘The Nordleng are a handful. And you reckon there’s around twenty?’ He looked to the company, then whispered under his breath to Toryn. ‘Even if they’re exhausted, they’re easily a match for most of these young fellows.’

Toryn read the captain’s mind. He addressed the company. ‘Lucky for us, the Nordleng don’t like this place any more than we do. I believe I can exploit that fear to give the Amayans a chance to break out. They’re trapped in a hall on the upper floors between the towers. If I could lure the Nordleng out and get them between us and the Amayans, we might take the upper hand.’ He looked back to Vortimo. ‘The Amayans know we’re here. Eryn sensed my presence when I found her. I hope they’ll guess our intention and act once we draw the Nordleng from the fortress.’

Gundrul’s brow creased as he looked up to the towers. ‘And how do you intend to tempt those fiends out? If it were me in there, I’d be happy to sit tight in my stronghold while my enemy wears themselves out climbing the steep road.’

Toryn grinned. ‘I shall trick them. They may not fear us, but they’d be wary if I can convince them more Amayans approach. They know they’d stop at nothing to get inside to save their sisters. And they’ll also be aware, even from outside, Amayans can lend their strength to those in the hall.’ Toryn pointed to the narrow gap in the outer wall. ‘I reckon they’d rather confront them at the top of that rubble than on the wide, flat floors of the fortress.’

The captain nodded his approval. ‘And that’s where we set our trap, eh.’

‘Exactly. The stonework either side of that gap is loose and wouldn’t need much persuasion to bring down on their heads. But…’ he looked to Elrik, ‘it needs a few brave folks to scale the wall and attach the ropes.’

Elrik surveyed the ancient stonework. ‘I’ve climbed higher trees. If there’s enough handholds in those cracks, I reckon I could do it.’

Lorek stepped forward. ‘Then count me in. I have yet to avenge my brothers. The more heads we cave in, the better.’

Gundrul patted Lorek’s back. ‘I’m sure you’ll soon be settling that score.’ He eyed the gap in the wall. ‘So… how to exploit our trap, eh? If I were in their boots, I’d send half my force here, and hold the rest in reserve. I wouldn’t leave the Amayans up there unattended and risk them coming at my back, so I’d leave at least four at the hall.’ He scratched his head. ‘But once they realize we’re not Amayans, I reckon they’d either take up a position at the top of this slope, or close the main gate which means we have no chance to get in. If they choose to attack us as we struggle up that road, there’d be few of us left even if we made it to the top.’

Toryn watched as Gundrul’s mind ticked over. ‘Archers?’

The captain nodded. ‘Exactly. You take four and get as close to the main gate as you dare. Then wait for the first to take the bait and rush out. Once they’re clear, you get in and find those Amayans. Take the Nordleng by surprise and avoid hand-to-hand combat, then hopefully our fair ladies will do the rest.’

Toryn looked to the determined faces around him. ‘I’m sure they’ll be only too happy to oblige.’

Gundrul slapped Toryn’s back. ‘Good. We’ll set a watch inside the wall and make a start. But… how do you convince the Nordleng we’re Amayans?’ He grinned. ‘We don't scrub up too well at the best of times. Surely, they’d never mistaken us for warrior maidens, even in the dark.’

Toryn laughed. ‘Certainly not you, Captain. Far too… weather-beaten.’ His smile faded. ‘I’ll have to risk going into the Song. From there, I can plant a vision into the mind of the Nordleng up on that ledge. I’ll use the moment when Eryn and her sisters first fled this way. He won’t know the difference and assume more Amayans approach.’

Gundrul shrugged. ‘I’ll settle for whistling my own tunes thanks. But if you can make this song of yours do that, that’s good enough for me.’ He looked up to the strip of sky above the valley. ‘I reckon we’ve got four hours ‘til dawn to get those ropes in place. Then I guess we wait until you’ve found your gullible Nordleng so we can spring the trap.’

A clash of swords rang down from the walls. Toryn grimaced. ‘And we can’t spring it quickly enough.’

Elrik and Lorek scaled the wall. It was a challenge climbing by the scant light of the moon, but they could not risk using torches. After much work, they had secured ropes to large stones on both sides of the wall. Elrik believed once dislodged, more would soon follow. Half of the company had used the cover of darkness to hide inside the perimeter. Outside, Gundrul and his men would ambush those surviving the wall’s collapse.

Toryn, along with Elrik, Lorek, Janae, and four others had armed themselves with bows and headed up the steep road. Shepra followed, appearing keen to exact her revenge for the loss of her family. The rest of the company had taken positions on the ropes, ready to bring the wall down on the Nordleng heads. But there were risks. How many defenders would remain in the fortress? And once the section of the wall had fallen, could those outside gain entry over the rubble? But time was against them and their options few. The Amayans were close to collapse, and Toryn feared they would struggle to hold out for more than a few days at most.

Now it was up to Toryn. The narrow road had been difficult to negotiate in the dark. Parts had crumbled, leaving gaps with a treacherous drop should they lose their footing. But they had reached the last bend just as dawn did its best to bring light to Vortimo. They squeezed into a crack just below the top ledge, hoping the first Nordleng to rush to the outer wall would be too preoccupied to see them.

Toryn stood and scanned the gray walls. His farsight partly revealed what lay within. Of the Nordleng, all but six slept. Four watched over the Amayans, while two stood just outside the main gate, perhaps to breathe the fresher, mountain air. One of the droogs lay secured to a pillar close to those guarding the Amayans. Its skin rippled — it had not long eaten. Toryn’s stomach turned as he saw a man chained to the adjacent pillar. The poor soul must have been taken from one of the villages around Vymarl. And knowing the cruel nature of the Nordleng, the prisoner would have witnessed the droog guzzle down his companion and suffered to hear the muffled cries as he was slowly digested.

Toryn’s fists clenched. Now he must find the shroul. While not as agile a fighter as the Nordleng, its presence alone was a menace. He shivered as he located the creature. The shroul wandered through the dungeons of the fortress. The walls turned white as the moisture clinging to the stonework froze at its passing. But mercifully, the Nordleng did not have to feed it: Vortimo’s pits were full of bones from its prisoners of old, more than enough to keep the shroul satisfied.

Toryn retreated from the darkness and looked back to the Nordleng at the gate. The younger of the two despised the fortress. He sensed he would have fled weeks ago had he not feared capture and being fed to the droog.

Toryn patted Shepra for luck then gave the signal to Gundrul far below. He closed his eyes and sought the vision he would plant in the young Nordleng’s mind. By a stroke of luck, the Watchers were occupied elsewhere, perhaps distracted by Nyomae’s presence. Luck or not, his path to the recent past was clear. He found the Amayans’ desperate rush through the pass, pursued by a large band of Nordleng. They had been surrounded outside Vymarl with only the route to Vortimo left intentionally open to them. Reluctantly, they had set their beloved horses free and fled. But as Toryn had expected, the Nordleng were imbued with some power that had heightened their abilities and shielded them from the dangers his company had encountered.

Toryn turned and directed the vision to the young Nordleng’s present Verse. He responded, peering down the pass, then pointing frantically to the gap in the outer wall. The other ran into the fortress. Toryn signaled to Gundrul the bait had been taken. He ran his hand along the Amayan bow. The Archonholm’s fletchers had done well to make arrows worthy of the weapon. Now he hoped to put them to good use and thin out the enemy before they could draw their keen blades.

Shouts from inside drew his attention. Footsteps rang out along the tunnel leading to the gate. Toryn pressed his back against the rock. He counted ten Nordleng as they sprinted down the road. Certain no more would come, he led his small company to the gate. They crouched at the side and nocked their arrows, anticipating more would emerge once their trap was sprung.

They did not have to wait long.

A shout went up at the perimeter wall — the signal to haul on the ropes. Toryn held his breath until the satisfying crash of falling masonry eased his nerves. He whispered. ‘Watch the gate.’ Swords clashed below as Gundrul ambushed the survivors.

More footsteps. Four ran out from the gate. Toryn and his archers let fly and brought them down. By Toryn’s calculation, six remained. He waited. Silence. With his heart pounding in his ears, he led the dash to the gate and ducked inside. But just as the first of the party entered, the portcullis dropped, followed by the heavy gate slamming shut.

Outside, Shepra barked, and the rest of his party hammered on the gate. But they may as well have been on the other side of the Caerwal Mountains — the gate would remain shut fast.

‘Toryn?’ He peered into the dark.

‘Is that you, Elrik?’

‘Yes.’ His breath came in fits and starts. ‘We got into some scuffles as lads, but nothing like this, eh.’

‘Well let’s hope we can get out of it.’ He turned. ‘Anyone else make it through?’ Lorek and Janae answered. Toryn whispered. ‘Pleased to have you along. That makes it four of us against six Nordleng. But their foul beasts somewhat tip the balance in their favor.’ He took a few paces and bumped into a wall. ‘We must locate the Amayans to even those odds.’ He reached out. ‘Come to me. We’ll follow this wall and find a way out of the gatehouse.’

‘Toryn?’ Janae joined him at the wall. ‘Could this be a trap? Someone… or something shut the gate. Did they see us coming?’

‘Possibly. But why would most of the Nordleng rush out to greet us? Unless… let me take a look.’ His farsight revealed only the gatehouse. But it was not due to the dark that he could see no farther. His way was blocked. ‘Stand ready. The shroul comes.’