I looked where the muddy avalanche had come to a stop, a natural depression that, now full, marked the end of safe footing. ‘We’ll set up our forward base just back from there.’
‘And then?’ Tova asked, his gaze darting to the place I pointed.
‘Then you and I will have a talk,’ I said, reaching out for my horse’s reins. ‘And you’ll tell me how to bury that son of a bitch in molten srebrec.’
Tova remained silent as I mounted Kary. The unsettled stallion still followed my commands, so I gave him a proud pat, then headed towards the end of the avalanche. Mud with rocks and fragments of hissing, degraded srebrec filled the slight depression. My lungs burned from the rising fumes, bile filling my throat. I’d never encountered the unrefined metal before, but this reaction exposed just how dangerous it was.
Nothing will grow here in the spring. You humans always destroy whatever you touch.
Cinared’s disgust couldn’t hide the sadness I sensed in his voice, and when I looked up, I spotted him, flying so high I could barely see him.
So, dragons can fly over the mountain?I thought back, wondering why the dragon riders claimed otherwise.And just so you know, it was the dwarves who caused this, not humans.
Those puling children might not fly here. I can. And what difference is there between you bipeds? You all die before seeing the consequences of your actions.
I thought of how my brother’s dragon, Vahin, would try to help in this situation. This one, however, seemed content to stay back and accuse me of transgressions I hadn’t committed.
Cinared?I looked up again, my gaze tracking the dot in the sky.Go fly where the sun doesn’t shine. I don’t want you here.
Is my sage advice not useful to you? Before your petty war turns this place into a desert, perhaps you should use that cunning mind you’re so proud of. I’m sure you and the dwarfhave figured out that if you destroy the beams holding up the highest terrace, the falling earth will bury the barrels. You can’t explode the srebrec if you can’t ignite the fire.
I gasped. ‘What?’
Oh, so now you’re listening, King Reynard?I thought a man like you didn’t need the help of an ancient dragon?
His presence disappeared from my mind just as the clouds obscured his form. The curses I bellowed at the sky startled the passing soldiers, but I was beside myself.
‘Out of all the creatures in this world, why the hell did I have to get this annoying, arrogant arsehole of a dragon?’ I grumbled, marching to the tent my men were setting up. Yet despite all the anger and frustration, I couldn’t deny the warmth in my soul when we talked. Cinared was a part of me, even though we hadn’t met. He was also the maddening bastard who’d given me the solution to conquering this bloody mountain.
‘Call the dwarf and sappers in,’ I told a passing soldier, then rushed to my maps.
A few moments later, a young, slim man entered my tent together with Ivar. He was so unremarkable that he could easily disappear in any crowd, but his eyes were filled with intelligence. ‘You wished to see me, sir,’ he said when I remained silent. I gestured for him to come closer to the map.
‘Can you get up here?’ I pointed above the highest row of trenches, and his eyebrows drew closer.
‘I… Yes, I can. It’ll be difficult, but if we traverse the cliffs on the other side of the mountain… We’ll need to do it during the night. Yes, sire, it is doable.’
‘Good.’ I hammered my fist on the table, dreading my next words. ‘You’ll take four men who know the mountain. Ivar, find volunteers. They must be expert mountaineers, and warn them… It’s likely they won’t be returning.’
‘My lord?’ Ivar’s jaw tightened, the muscles twitching as he ground his teeth. That is, until I pointed to the highest trench.
‘If Mlot wants to bring down the mountainside, then I’ll help him,’ I said, watching both men frown. ‘Master Orenson, right on time.’ The dwarf pulled back the flap of the tent. ‘You’re going to teach us how to explode the barrels.’
‘What?’ Tova’s eyebrows shot up when I explained Cinared’s suggestion.
‘That could work. And if we use naphtha, it might spread the fire to the other levels,’ he muttered, pulling on his beard. ‘But we’ll need to start from at least three points, otherwise there won’t be enough debris to destroy the next terrace.’ He marched to the map table, flipped the largest map over, and started drawing. ‘There, that’s what we need to do. Look.’
The diagram showed what I could only assume was the plan of attack. I nodded with newfound respect. ‘You missed your calling, Master Orenson. Military engineering should be your speciality,’ I said, then turned to Ivar. ‘And after the landslide, as the ground settles, we attack.’
Ivar was silent for a moment before raising his head to look me in the eye with a determination I’d rarely seen in his gaze. ‘I’ll find you your men, sire.’ He marched out of the tent, and the head sapper bowed.
‘I’ll get ready. We’ll need sturdy ropes if we’re to carry equipment. With your permission…’
‘I’ll go with you, and I’ll show you the easiest route to climb if you can find a harness to fit a dwarf,’ said Tova. I shook my head covertly at the sapper. I’d promised to look after Sana’s friend and didn’t expect the men taking on this task to return alive. Tova noticed the silent communication, his shoulders straightening. ‘Whatever you promised my Drah’sa, Your Majesty, I’m going to the mines. There is nothing and no one that can stop me.’
I excused the tracker for a private conversation with the dwarf. ‘Are you sure? I have enough guards to tie you down and lock you in a padded wagon till the end of this campaign.’ My frustration was showing, but I didn’t want to face Sana only to tell her the brother of her heart died on my watch.
‘Then you’ll lose the war,’ he said quietly. It wasn’t his usual boastfulness, but a conviction so deep that it gave me pause.
