He was cleared to march into the war...
And there was no one coming to save him but himself and his magic.
For the first time in a long time, Arawn feltsmall.
Walls of frozen white rose on either side of him as he and the other younglings snaked their way through the tundra, heading north to the Snow Gates.
Towards the end of the gods’ protection, where the glowing dome of wardlight would end. And the war would begin.
And people around him would die a horrible death.
“You look pale,” said Soraya, breathless as she caught up to him. She was late to the marching call. He’d arrived an hour early.
Arawn flinched at her voice, even though it was familiar. A comfort in the darkness.
Her breath was a cloud before her, and snow had already gathered upon the dark strands of her hair. It was woven into a warrior’s braid that ran down her back. She wore Sacred whites, like Arawn, runes glowing a brilliant gold all over her. They lit up her eyes, turning the amber almost molten, and?—
He sucked in a breath. She had kohl lining her eyes, and for the first time, a thought fluttered into his mind when it came to her.
Beautiful.
“Scared, Prince?” she asked, smiling.
Not just smiling, butgrinningear to ear,even though they were about to march into true war. Even though countless would fall in this very battle as the Snow Gates grew closer, the dark obelisks already visible in his sight. He could feel the thrum of thousands of marching feet in his chest.
“Of course I’m scared,” Arawn said. “Aren’t you?”
Shouts rang out as the last bits of daylight fell. And in the distance...a mightyrumbleshook the earth. The shadowstorm was alive.
Soraya laughed, while others begged for mercy and prayed. “Why would I be scared? I had the best trainer anyone could ask for! And besides!” She pointed skyward. There was a fresh penance mark on the back of her hand. “We march in the shadow of the gods’ chosen!”
He looked up at the sound of a war eagle’s cry...just in time to see them falling from the cliffside. His father, King of Lordach, was right at the front of them.
Draybor was pressed close to his eagle as he dove down, down, following the curve of the cliff’s face. He was an arrow, a blur of gold feathers and white cape andmagic.Fire swirled like a shield before his eagle, wind stirring it into a deathly gale.
And then Draybor and his magic faded from view as he pulled upon his war eagle, and they leveled, their talons nearly colliding with thenomageforces before they soared right of Arawn’s head with a mighty screech. His aerie followed, so low that Arawn could feel thewhooshof their enormous bodies just over his head.
They pulled up, and soared through those Snow Gates.
Right over the Expanse, where the first line of ground forces had already stepped into the dark.
All around Arawn, soldiers began to shout. A drum was played somewhere in the line of forces. He could hear it in the distance, or perhaps that was his heart.
Beat.
He marched onwards, hefting a borrowed blade in his hands.
Beat.
The first tendril of the Acolyte’s magic struck beyond the wards.
Beat.
The raphons rose in the distance. He could hear their screeching from here, and magic exploded as the Riders began their attack.
Beat.
A war bear nearly shoved Arawn to the side as it marched past, carrying runed shields and extra arrows for the archers.
