But the breeze was strong and from the east. It pushed me in the wrong direction until I caught on another tree.
There was another option though…
I scampered down the tree to a branch which would support me as a human, then transformed back.
Then I launched myself, with my powerful legs, up and angled out of the forest to the south. This worked, though I did tear through the upper branches of a few trees, acquiring a few scrapes and ripping my clothes. Then once I’d hit my apex and was falling, I transformed back to a spider and quickly wove another small sail of silk, to slow me a bit before I landed. This way I wouldn’t scare any of the Vauphani sentries, nor would I alert the Elistans in the woods.
I floated to the ground at the edge of the camp, then ran for all my little eight legs would carry me for Alvere’s tent. Once I reached it, I returned to my form and called out for the others.
Only Maverick was still in the front part of the pavilion. “Attack! Surprise attack from all sides!” I hissed at him as I ran for my armor and weapons.
He was up in an instant and roused the others.
“I’ll get help!” Fin said and disappeared.
We all hurried to get into our armor. Each second that ticked by felt like an hour.
Once we were ready, Maverick told us to: “Get out there and make as much noise as you can. If we’re lucky we’ll wake the camp, if we’re luckier still the enemy will hear us and call off their attack, but I doubt that will happen.”
Just before we left, Fin returned with most of the rest of our House: Ant, Midnight, Tusk, Fennec, Foggy, Princess, Sparrow, and Silence. The last two I didn’t want to be here, not in the middle of a fight like this, but I couldn’t fault them for coming, the people they loved were in danger.
Maverick told them what to do and we ran in all directions calling out, shouting as loud as we could.
“Men in the woods.”
“Men behind the camp.”
“Watch from all sides.”
“Sneak attack!”
That got the camp moving… but it also must have spooked the enemy, or we were just a little too late, as we began to hear the sounds of combat, shouts and cries from all sides; all sides except the direction the enemy should have come, across the battlefield.
The battle had begun.
Chapter 23
Sparrow and Silencecame with me; she flew off to see what she could, while Silence stuck close to me. He had a longsword and small shield but no armor.
“We had to flee the manor,” he said as we moved carefully through the night toward the sounds of fighting. “And we couldn’t bring everything. Some brought armor, but I… didn’t think I’d need it. I feel a bit stupid about that now.” His voice was quavering as we drew closer to the battle-line.
Sparrow returned, flashing back to herself, shaking her head. “My night vision isn’t great and the enemies carry no torches, I saw only a shadowy mob of men moving from the forest in to the edges of the camp. Sorry,” she said, and I heard the fear in her voice too. She had armor like mine, a breastplate, grieves and bracers, with the addition of a chain skirt to protect her hips and upper legs. She carried a bow and quiver, a short-sword at her hip.
What were we doing? I was barely trained for this. Silence was little better. Sparrow was the most experienced but still had never seen true battle like this. She’d always been a scout.
“We… could go back,” I said hesitantly. Yet, myHerogift was rising within me, and I needed to be out there. I couldn’t run away. I was less concerned about my own death and more about theirs.
You must fight, but you can’t bear to see those dearest to you hurt, it’s natural. All warriors feel some mix of fear for themselves and their allies. It is what you do now, in this critical moment that counts.Auwei was right.
I saw the momentary relief on Silence’s face at my suggestion, but quickly that turned hard. Sparrow’s jaw twitched, clenched, determined.
“We stay,” Silence said, stalwart and firm.
“We fight,” Sparrow echoed his tone.
“We fight to protect this army and… each other,” I said. “Stay close if you can.”
They nodded to that, then we were moving out, faster now, hurrying to the front.
