Into the fire

Chapter 37

"Oh my," hissed Tipperton in the dawn. "Look ahead." "Adon," breathed Linnet, "H?l's Crucible." They lay bellydown atop a ridge and peered easterly past the encamped Fists of Rakka below. Under the overcast sky they could see a vast rift in the earth, the near side nought but a jagged edge running out of the northwest and disappearing into the southeast, all obscured by a darkling haze. Even so, dim in the distance and steeply rising lay the far side, hills atop, with mountains looming vaguely beyond. From where the pair lay, they could not see the floor of the basin directly below the nearside brim, but two or so leagues outward and deeply down a thousand feet or so the bottom hove into view; leftward the floor plunged down and away, the bottom entirely beyond sight. Where they could see the floor of the rift, jumbles of jagged black stone ran in long, long stretches, and ragged fissures vomited dark smoke up and out, to be caught by the chill wind and spread wide in layers of grey, while elsewhere yellowish vapors belched forth to mingle with the dusky vapors and turn the westerly flow an ill-seeming, sickly brown… and the stench was nigh staggering. Under this cast of foul smoke, little else could be discerned, yet there was no question that this was indeed H?l's Crucible.

"Lord, but what must it smell like in the bottom below when the wind doesn't blow down from those mountains afar," said Linnet, her face wrinkled in disgust.

"Bloody awful, if you ask me," said Tip. "Ryn says the vapors are deadly when the air in the basin is still."

"Oh my, but I would hate to have that reek in my nostrils if I were to die."

"Well then, let's take a pledge to remain out of H?l's Crucible," said Tip, grinning.

They watched and waited for the Fists of Rakka to break camp, yet the black-robed men stayed put. And the day grew on toward the noontide, yet little below changed.

But then Linnet said, "I say, look there. Is that the King's host coming?"

Tipperton peered westerly where Linnet pointed. In the distance along the rim of the rift a mounted force stretched away for miles, with some men on foot trotting alongside the riders. Long did Tip look, his suspicions growing, and finally in the fore he could see "A flag, black and red," Tipperton gritted. "This is no host of the King."

"Then who?" asked Linnet.

"I think it may be the Southerlings-Hyrinians and Kis-tanians and Chabbains."

"How can you know?"

"I saw such in Valon, when Beau and Phais and Loric and I crossed that wide land. Too, I think the flag they bear is Modru's own."

Steadily the long column neared, and at last Tipperton could clearly see the standard they bore as it blew in the wind: it was a ring of fire on black.

"It is Modru's banner, Linnet. One of us is going to have to take this news back to-" began Tipperton -but Linnet hissed, "Movement behind and below."

Tipperton turned, and slipping uphill from rock to rock came "Nix!" sissed Linnet.

The buccan was clearly heading for their position. And now hoving into view behind Nix came Dinly… and then after him came Farly.

Nix flopped down next to Linnet and said, "You are going to have to take more care, sister of mine."

Linnet raised an eyebrow, and Nix added, "You were seen."

"Seen? By whom?"

"Well, not exactly you, Linnet, but your pony downslope instead. I believe it was Dara Vail who spotted it."

"Vail?" said Tipperton, looking about. "Where?"

Nix pointed westerly. "On the back side of yon hill, with Alor Flandrena and Dara Arylin. Their own horses are among the crags below."

Tipperton looked long and at last saw the concealed horses.

"They have been tracking the army you see coming yon, and have asked us to bear the word back to King Blaine," said Nix.

"All of us?" asked Tipperton.

Nix shook his head. "I told her that we were trailing the Fists of Rakka, and that we would continue to do so. Besides, Ryn assigned Dinly to be the courier of news."

"Moreover," said Farly, "if the Fists hie in a direction elsewhere from the army the Elves are tracking, well then, someone needs to follow, and that is our task."

Tipperton nodded.

"Should I go now?" asked Dinly.

Tipperton shook his head. "Not yet, Dinly. Let's see what happens when these lackeys of Modru come together."

And so they waited as the multitude neared, closer and closer, until from below came the flat call of a ram's horn, to be answered by a horn from within the approaching ranks.

And still the long columns came on.

Moments passed and moments more, and of a sudden Tipperton groaned.

"What is it?" asked Linnet.

"See riding in the fore ranks?" said Tipperton.

"See what?" asked Nix.

"That man, the one on the dark horse."

"The one carrying a ragged bundle?" asked Farly.

"It is no bundle," said Tipperton, "but the corpse of his daughter instead."

Linnet gasped. "Corpse of-?"

"-His daughter," repeated Tipperton. "It is Mad Lord Tain, a Daelsman, a surrogate of Modru."

Tipperton turned to Dinly. "This news must reach King Blaine. For if Lord Tain is here, then so is the presence of Modru." As Dinly's eyes widened in understanding, an ephemeral thought flitted through Tipperton's mind, but ere he could capture it, it was gone. Nevertheless he said, "Something most foul is afoot, and I would have the King beware." Now Tipperton looked at Farly. "This news is too important for one alone to bear it."

Farly nodded and said, "I will also go."

Again they turned their attention to the army, and now it came in among the Fists of Rakka, the men of Hyree and Chabba and Kistan greeting those of Hum and Sarain and Thyra.

And a score of men-Chabbains, Hyrinians, Kistanians, and several Fists of Rakka-gathered around Lord Tain as he whispered unto the remains of his daughter, the corpse seeming no more than a bundle of twigs to the Warrows afar. Yet in moments Lord Tain turned unto those around him and clenched a fist and seemed to be hissing orders. After a while, again Lord Tain turned to the corpse he bore, yet just ere he did, he looked long at the hills above and seemed to laugh.

"So they have joined forces, have they?"

"Aye, my lord," said Farly, Dinly at his side nodding. "Right about here, or so Tipperton gauges." In the early-morning light, Farly pointed to a place on the map.

"And they marched off southeasterly along the rim of H?l's Crucible," added Dinly.

King Blaine's eyes widened. "Southeasterly?"

"Aye, my lord. Southeasterly," said Dinly.

King Loden looked at the map and then at DelfLord Bekki. "You know more of this region, Lord Bekki. What could be their goal?"

Bekki shook his head. "They march toward the shield wall."

"They also march toward the sea," said Coron Eiron.

"Ships," replied Skipskaptein Arnson. "There may be ships awaiting them at the shores of the Avagon."

"We must not let them escape," growled DelfLord Volki.

King Blaine nodded and glanced at the others and finally at Linde. "Sound the horns. We will pursue."

"My lord," said Arth of the Wilderland, "forget not what these Waldans have said: the foe has a surrogate among them-"

"Coward Tain," gritted Bekki.

"-and where there is a surrogate, there also is Modru's eyes and ears and voice." The lad from Twoforks fell silent, awaiting his liege lord's response.

King Blaine nodded at Arth. "I know, Lord Arth, but remember, we defeated one of his Hordes at the battle of the downs, and a surrogate was with them there. Nay, I'll not forget that Modru's presence rides among them, yet I'll not let that stay my hand, for the fate of the Planes rides on that which we now do, and to do nought is to allow evil to reign."

"My lord," said Arnson, "seven of my ships are downstream of the bridge, and I can take those crews and set sail down the river and-"

"Do so," said King Blaine, ere the skipskaptein had finished," and set fire to any enemy ships you find waiting."

Arnson smiled in triumph at his Jutlander counterpart and said," I am sure Kapitan Dolf will be glad to hold ward at the bridge."

"Indeed," said King Blaine, even as Dolf glared at the Fjordlander. "And now, Hrosmarshal Linde, sound the horn."

And so Linde sounded her black-oxen horn, and Larana her trump of silver, and host and legion mounted up, and in squads and companies and brigades they followed two Warrows wending into the hills.

And nigh H?l's Crucible on a track through the crags, Arylin, Flandrena, and Vail, along with Tipperton, Linnet, and Nix, paralleled the march of the foe, turn by turn and from above the scouts keeping watch on the enemy.

The hideous stench of H?l's Crucible wafted over all as the tainted vapors rode outward on the chill wind, but by this time all had become inured to the malodorous reek. In his and Linnet's turn to observe, now and again Tipper-ton's eye was drawn to the vast rift and the dimly seen foothills and mountains beyond, and each time he looked an elusive thought seemed to slip 'round the edges of his mind, yet the more he pursued it, the more it fled his grasp. Nevertheless, as he rode in the valleys behind the watch hills, he said to Vail, "I can't but help believe this is some viper's egg of a plan yet to be hatched by vile Modru."

"Why so, Tipperton? -Oh, not that I disbelieve thee, yet I would have thy thoughts."

"Well, although I cannot quite catch hold of a nagging suspicion on the edge of my mind, other things vex me as well, and I cannot read their riddle: look, the Fists of Rakka and the Lakh and Rovers and Askars make no effort to cover their tracks, nor do they go in stealth, taking advantage of the cover of these hills; they do not send sentries in among these ways to see if they are watched; 'tis almost as if they seek to be seen. Too, they veer not from this course, but the only thing ahead is the shield wall and beyond it a drop to the Avagon Sea."

"Perhaps 'tis there ships await them, or ships yet to come," said Flandrena, riding alongside.

"If not," said Linnet, "then when King Blaine and the host arrives he will have them trapped between H?l's Crucible and the deep blue sea."

Vail nodded, then said, "As do thee, Tipperton, I, too, think something is afoot, for they move at a deliberate pace, slow and unhasty, as if'-Vail shook her head-"I know not."

Arylin signalled down from the hill above, and Vail said, "They continue their course."

Tipperton sighed, then said, "Come, Linnet, it's our turn to ride ahead and set watch. Let's do so from that hill yon."

Together they rode away, passing below the hill on which Arylin and Nix sat vigil.

"I am glad to see you survive, Lady Linde."

Linde sighed and looked down at the wee Waldan riding at hand. "There are but seventeen of us left, commander. Seventeen."

"So few?" Rynna glanced back at the meager number of Harlingar riding after.

Linde's face drew gaunt. "Aye. Of one thousand Jordians sent by King Ranor, only seventeen of the brigade yet live."

"Oh my," said Rynna.

They rode in silence for a while, and then Rynna asked,

"Where is the Gargon's head you bore away when you left Darda Erynian."

"It is lost, Lady Rynna, lost, lying somewhere in the wrack of war. After the Battle of Gunarring Gap it was gone."

"You fought there?"

"Aye. When word came that King Blaine had landed in Jugo, we set sail from Pendwyr and joined his force."

"And the battle…?"

" 'Twas bloody, yet we won in the end."

Again they rode without speaking, wending among the crags and hills, but at last Rynna said almost to herself, "Like so many things."

An eyebrow raised, Linde looked at the Waldan.

Rynna sighed. "Many things lie somewhere, lost in the wreckage of war… innocence not the least of these."

Linnet and Tipperton watched as the column of foe marched along the rim of the rift below. Sheltered by the hills and out of view of the enemy, Vail and Flandrena made their way southeastward to take up the vigil atop the next craggy mound. Leftward, Nix and Arylin made their way down from the previous station. In the far distance rightward Tip and Linnet could see the shield wall and beyond it the indigo waters of the Avagon sea.

"How is the health of your father, Arth?"

Arth shook his head. "He is dead, Healer Darby, slain at the Battle of the Downs."

"Oh my, but I am sorry to hear of that," said Beau.

"It was just west of Stonehill," said Arth. "Da was a hero: saved the King's life."

"The mayor saved Blaine's life?"

"Aye. King Blaine was unhorsed. A Ghul on Helsteed was riding him down. Da charged in between and engaged the foe and fought furiously. But Ghuls shrug off wounds that would slay any ordinary man, and in the end Da was speared through and fell."

"What of the King?"

"He caught up Da's horse and mounted and charged the Ghul, but by this time I had won past and with my sword I took off the corpse-foe's head."

"Good," said Beau.

"The King then gave me command of the folk of the Beacontor muster, and we've been with him ever since, though nearly half altogether have been slain. I alone remain of the entire Company of Twoforks."

"You alone of all those men?" Sudden tears spilled down Beau's face.

Arth nodded, his own cheeks wet as well.

"They've stopped alongside the shield wall," said Nix, as Tipperton and Linnet came up the back of the hill to the crest in response to his signal.

Tipperton peered 'round the crag and down toward the enemy. As Nix had said, the foe stood on the broad flats along the rim of the rift, the shield wall stretching away eastward. Sheer and high was this barrier and some ten miles long, a perpendicular stone rampart spanning the width of the narrow neck between the ocean and the mighty rift below, the hundred-cubit-thick barricade keeping the two apart. Beyond the wall, beyond the foe, they could see the waters of the Avagon Sea and hear the roar of the ocean crashing against the hard stone.

"Have you seen any ships on the sea?" asked Linnet, taking a place beside Arylin.

"Nay," replied the Dara, "though they could be anchored beyond our sight at the base of the cliffs."

Linnet nodded and glanced at the rim, where the land dropped down steeply to an unseen shore below. "Vail and Flandrena rode ahead to look," said the damman.

"But if there are ships, then why are these forces waiting?" asked Nix. "Why aren't they climbing down the cliffs to board the craft?"

Ere any could answer-"Hist," said Arylin, "I ween they draw into formation."

"Be ready to cut and run," warned Nix, "for if indeed they are forming up, they may send sentries into these hills."

"Oh my," said Tipperton.

"What?" asked Linnet.

"They are facing back the way they came," replied Tipperton. "As if-"

"As if expecting someone," said Arylin.

"The High King," said Tipperton. "That's who they expect. I knew they were making no attempt to escape.

"A last stand?" asked Nix. "Are they making a last stand?"

Nix and Linnet turned to Tipperton, yet he looked to Dara Arylin. "Cornered foe oft make a final trial," she said, "and most dangerous are they then."

"But if they are expecting ships…" Linnet's words fell silent, but finally she added, "I think there are no ships there."

"We will soon know," said Tipperton, looking toward the ocean and seeking to see Vail and Flandrena but finding them not.

"Oh my, so this is H?l's Crucible," said Rynna, as darkness descended on the land. "Now I know why Lord Steward Voren called it a terrible place."

Even as she said it, word came from the fore. They would spend the night encamped on the flats between the hills and the rift, and turn toward the enemy on the morrow, for scouts had seen their fires nigh the shield wall, no more than ten miles hence.

As Rynna prepared her bedroll, Beau and Farly and Dinly came to her side. And Rynna said, "Rest well this night, my dearest friends, for on the morrow we will fight. And although I would have this be the last battle of the war, I fear it is not."

"Not the last battle?" asked Dinly.

Beau looked up from spreading his bedroll. "No, Dinly. You see, these are but the Hyrinians and Chabbains and Rovers and the Fists of Rakka; Modru and the Foul Folk are yet on the loose. And it is Modru and his master Gy-phon who drive all. Nay, until we can deal with them, the war will not be ended."

Glumly Dinly nodded, while Farly pulled biscuits of crue from his saddlebags to pass around. In spite of the fact that none had any appetite, they each took one.

"There are no ships directly below," said Vail, sitting down beside Tipperton and taking a wafer of mian from Arylin, "but sails approach from the southwest."

"Fjordlander sails," said Flandrena.

"Fjordlanders?" blurted Tipperton. "Have they thrown in with the foe?"

Vail shook her head. "I think not, Tipperton. Instead I ween King Blaine, acting on word borne by Farly and Dinly, has sent the Fjordlanders to stop any seaward escape by the enemy below."

"Ah," said Nix, taking another bite of mian. "Makes sense." "How far down to the ocean?" asked Linnet. "-I mean, how high are the seaside cliffs?"

"Sixteen, seventeen fathoms, and sheer," replied Flan-drena. "If enemy ships do come, 'tis not an easy climb up nor down."

"Thou canst bear such word back to King Blaine as well," said Arylin, looking from Tipperton to Linnet to Nix.

Vail raised an eyebrow.

"That the foe stands with their backs to a cliff with no ships waiting below," said Arylin, "but is instead arrayed to meet the host."

"I made a sketch of their deployment," said Tipperton, "though I still think that I should remain here while Linnet and Nix take it back."

Arylin shook her head. "Nay, for 'tis better that ye all three be with thy kind when the conflict comes. Vail, Flan-drena and I will wait till the last to join with ours."

As Tipperton reluctantly agreed, Vail said, " 'Tis but some three or four leagues back to where Farly and Dinly parted to bear word back to the King, hence ye should await the host there if they have not already come."

Tipperton nodded and then stood and said to Nix and Linnet, "Let us be gone, and then."

Each of the Elves embraced the trio and kissed them, and then watched as down the hill and toward their ponies the Warrows went.

With a gentle kiss, Tipperton awakened his dammia. Together they quietly took up her blanket and slipped in among the nearby crags, even as Linnet and Beau did the same.

"There are no ships for the enemy," said Bekki, riding alongside Tipperton in the early-morning light. "And they fear to march through H?l's Crucible. As you say, it seems they have readied themselves to make a last stand. Even so, it matters not, for we will soon make short shrift of them."

"I deem thou canst not be certain of that, Lord Bekki," said Loric, "for did we not hear the Fists of Rakka fought formidably at the Dragonboat bridge? And I can say the Battle at Gunarring Gap was bloody indeed. Nay, I ween they will give good account of themselves, much to our regret."

"Pah!" snorted Bekki, but said no more.

"Tell us again, Tipperton," said Phais, "just how they are arrayed and the lay of the land nigh."

"In long rows, Phais: the Fists of Rakka out front; the Askars of Chabba next; then the mounted files of Hyrinians and Kistanians after them. Many of the Chabbains are armed with bows, but most wield short spears. The Fists of Rakka wield scimitars and axes and they bear small round shields, though some of the Fists are armed with crossbows. The Lakh of Hyree also bear small round shields but their swords are long and curved-like the sabers the Jordians wield-tulwars I think they are named. They also have bows at hand, strangely curved. The Rovers wield cutlasses and crossbows and spears."

Phais nodded, then said, "And the land?"

"They stand on the level ground between the brim of H?l's Crucible to their right and the hills on their left, with their backs to the hundred-foot drop unto the Avagon Sea below."

"What lies in front?" asked Beau.

"A long flat like this," said Tipperton, gesturing at the broad expanse lying between the sheer fall into the rift to their left and the craggy hills in the near distance to their right and stretching out fore and aft of the moving host.

"They have their backs to the sun," growled Bekki.

"What sun?" asked Rynna, gesturing to the overcast above, yet sliding southwesterly overhead, driven by the chill wind.

"Should it come out," replied Bekki.

"And it is nought but a sheer fall to the foe's right?" asked Phais.

Tipperton shook his head. "Several hundred yards in front of the enemy's ranks, there seems to be a broad, broad slope down into H?l's Crucible, the pitch itself mayhap a full mile wide. How gentle or steep, I cannot say, for we could not fully see it from our post."

"I say we drive them off the cliffs behind to fall into the sea," said Bekki.

"Or off the sheer drop to their right," added Nix.

"Or run them down the slope and into the foul air of H?l's Crucible itself," said Linnet.

"The King says any one or all of these tactics will do," said Rynna, adding, "assuming they do not lay down their arms as the King will demand."

"Bah!" growled Bekki. "Were it mine to choose, I would not offer them surrender terms as King Blaine has said he will do."

"Better they surrender without a fight than to have them maim and kill our own," said Beau. "I'm sick of seeing so many warriors lying in their own leaking blood, weary of sewing and patching muscle and skin as if they were nought but shredded remnants of a torn garment, weary of dealing with broken bones, weary of pain and death and crippling harm… ah, me, but I am weary of war."

They rode awhile without speaking, but then Linde's horn sounded from the fore.

Loric looked at the others. " Tis the call to fall into formation as planned."

Bekki sighed and said, "May Elwydd shield ye all."

"May Her hand protect thou as well, Drimm Bekki, DelfLord of Mineholt North," replied Phais.

Bekki peered long at her, an unfathomable look in his eyes, but then he saluted with his war hammer and wheeled his pony rightward and to the fore, where the Chakka of Mineholt North rode in array.

"Take care, wee ones," said Phais, and then she and Loric also turned, and they cantered toward the Lian of Arden Vale.

"Remember," said Rynna, "if it comes to fighting, we are to circle to the far right, out where we will be free to cast arrows."

Farly shook his head. "I think the High King put us there just to get us out of the way."

"No, he did not," replied Rynna. "Silverleaf is the one who suggested it, and though we are but a handful and two, he knows how deadly we can be."

"Well, out of the way or not," said Tipperton, "I say we should get over there now, commander. I mean, I don't trust Modru to honor a grey flag."

Rynna nodded and spurred rightward, the others following, and among the ponies of the twenty-five hundred Dwarves and past the horses of six hundred Dylvana and eight hundred Lian and fourteen hundred Baeron and thirty-nine thousand men, the entire Wee Folk army of seven rode to their position wide to the right to cover the host's dextral flank.

In row after row came the King's host, each long row reaching across the wide flat between the hills to the right and the precipice to the left.

In the lead rode King Blaine and Silverleaf, with Larana to Silverleaf s right and Linde to the King's left. Couched in Larana's stirrup cup was a lance bearing a grey flag, and on Linde's lance flew the King's scarlet and gold.

In a row a short way behind the King were borne the many banners of the Allies, pennons of men and Elves and Dwarves, but no flags for the Warrows and the Baeron.

Directly after the standard bearers came the heavy horses with Baeron astride, maces and morning stars and war hammers in hand, for as Blaine had said, "I would have the foe tremble at the sight of such huge men and mounts; mayhap it will give the enemy pause should there be deceit in their hearts."

And following after the Baeron came row after row of men and Dwarves and Elves, armed and armored for war.

And two miles ahead and also arrayed in row after row stood the Lakh of Hyree and the Askars of Chabba and the Rovers of Kistan, along with the Fists of Rakka, all of them accoutered for war as well.

"Oh lordy," said Beau, "but what a throng. I swear, Tip, there's more foe here than ever was at Dendor."

Grimly, Tipperton nodded but otherwise did not reply as he and the Warrows pressed forward, riding along the right fore flank at the foot of the hills.

"Take note of the terrain," said Rynna, "for it may prove the difference between living and dying or between victory and defeat."

Even though Tip was thoroughly familiar with the lay of the land, for he had studied it well while making the sketch, a sketch he had shown to all, still he scanned the surround. To the right stood the craggy hills, a place of refuge at need. A broad flat stretched between these mounds and the precipice of H?l's Crucible, a fiat some thousand yards wide and running for miles along the rim of the rift. This flat between the hills and the brim would be the battleground if it came to combat. To the left yawned H?l's Crucible itself, the bordering stone plummeting downward some thousand feet or so, the fall sheer alongside where the host now rode, but a quarter mile hence stood the long slope down into the vast basin, the slope Tip had observed from the hills above. Straight ahead were arrayed the foe, at their backs a hundred-foot fall to the deep Avagon Sea below. Stretching away to the enemy's right ran the shield wall, the steep stone plunging down into the basin, a sheer face between the rift and the ocean a hundred cubits beyond.

All was as Tip had last seen it; nothing seemed to have changed.

Tipperton looked up to the right. Somewhere in the hills above, Vail, Arylin, and Flandrena yet watched.

When the distance between the host and the foe came to a half mile or so, King Blaine signed to Linde, and she raised her black-oxen horn to her lips and blew a resonant call, and the host came to a stop.

Riding forward through the ranks came the emissaries who were to accompany King Blaine forward from this point. From the far right rode a wee Warrow on a pony. These emissaries arrayed themselves among the banners of the Allies, Rynna centermost and flanked by two Baeron, these three bereft of flags.

Now King Blaine looked behind and saw all was as planned, then he turned and nodded to Silverleaf and said, "Let us see if they are open to surrender."

"Beware treachery, my lord," gritted a voice from behind.

"I shall, Lord Bekki," replied the King without looking back.

Together, Blaine, Silverleaf, Larana, and Linde rode forward, the grey flag on the right, the scarlet and gold on the left. Directly behind rode the emissaries amid the many banners: Lian, Dylvana, Dwarves, Humans, Baeron. a Mage, and a single Warrow. Toward the foe they rode, coming at last to a point halfway between. There they stopped and waited.

The foe did not respond.

Long moments passed, a candlemark or so, yet neither ally nor foe stirred, and Rynna could hear the DelfLords growling among themselves, Bekki in particular.

And then Bekki cursed, "Kruk, Loden, look. There's Coward Tain."

Rynna stared at the enemy but a quarter mile away, where, centermost among them a man sat ahorse and seemed to be speaking to a bundle in his arms. Rynna shuddered, for although she had never seen Lord Tain before, she knew this bundle to be the corpse of his daughter Jolet.

Tipperton looked long at the enemy ranks, and he could make out Lord Tain astride a mount and whispering to the remains of his daughter, while gesticulating toward the host. Tip glanced at the cluster of emissaries: the King and Silverleaf and the others, notably Rynna, waiting at the midpoint.

Of a sudden, Lord Tain straightened and glared about -a shudder ran through Tipperton -the surrogate peered at the waiting King and his escort and laughed, then turned and spoke to someone at hand -and from the hills above there came a horn cry -Tipperton snapped his head around, and there on a crest stood Flandrena, sounding a signal of alarm and pointing northwesterly away from the foe, while thundering downslope toward the King's small assembly came Vail riding at speed -Yaaaah…! Shouted the enemy in a collective wordless howl, and forward charged the throng, mounted Hyrini-ans and Rovers hurtling toward the host, spears lowered, swords raised -"Fly, Rynna, fly!" cried Tipperton, stringing an arrow -Chabbains and the black-cloaked Fists of Rakka running forward afoot -Linde sounding her black-oxen horn, Larana her horn of silver…

Even as the heavy horses of the Baeron thundered forth and the ponies of Dwarves and the horses of men and Elves hammered after, the King shouted a command to his escort, and as one they readied weapons and shields and waited for the wave of allies to come.

All but Rynna, and she galloped her pony toward the right flank.

"Faster, Rynna!" cried Tipperton, afraid she would be run over by the oncoming Baeron, Linnet and Beau and Nix and Farly and Dinly shouting as well.

And even as she rode toward Tipperton and the other Warrows, Vail flashed past, galloping the opposite way, yelling in Sylva, but what she called out, none of the War-rows knew.

Yet Silverleaf shouted to Larana, and she blew a command on her silver horn, and within the charging ranks, Elves reined and turned opposite.

Tipperton's eyes flew wide. "What th-?" And he looked behind and saw riders coming, thousands upon thousands of riders, yellow flags flying, armored in dark scale and wide-flaring helms, long, curved swords in hand, great longbows drawn taut -and sleets of arrows both fore and aft flew from the oncoming foe's ranks, to strike down among the Allies, men and Elves and Dwarves to fall screaming even as a hail of arrows flew in return…

… and with a great clash of arms and armor and shrieks and shouts and battle cries, the armies collided, the Allies hammered fore and aft by foe even as Rynna flew free of the clash and galloped in among the Warrows.

"It was a trap!" shouted Tipperton, loosing arrow after arrow to fell the enemy.

"Dismount!" cried Rynna. "Take shelter among the crags. Make every shaft and sling bullet count."

"Who flies the yellow flag?" cried Dinly, as he drew his pony after and came in among the boulders.

Yet not a buccan nor damman knew the answer as they loosed arrows at the foe and Beau hurled sling bullets.

"Target the enemy archers," said Rynna, "for they are deadly."

Out on the flats amid the clash and clang and screams and cries of battle, taking terrible casualties the host drew together to face the two-pronged attack, all but the Baeron on their heavy horses, who had smashed entirely through the ranks of the seaward foe, but now were fighting their way back.

In the center 'round the King, rallied warriors dire: Dwarves with axes hewing; Elves with swords riving and spears piercing; men with maces and axes and swords bashing and hacking and hewing as well. Among those rallied was Aravan, his truenamed Krystallopyr burning through flesh and bone. Riatha fought at his side, her glitter-dark blade keen beyond reckoning. Nigh her, Silverleaf's white bone bow was scabbarded in favor of his deadly long-knife. Magekind was there, too, but they withheld their for the King had bade them to not spend it unless all was lost. Yet wholly outnumbered and assailed from both sides, the Allies were driven back and back as the foe swept in a semicircle to close ranks.

"They are too many," gritted Tipperton, even as he loosed an arrow to bring another enemy archer down.

"Oh lor'," cried Beau, "look, Tip! They are now driving the host toward H?l's Crucible!"

With their backs to the great rift, King Blaine and the Allies were being hammered toward the brim, toward the long slope down and within.

Rynna wept as she loosed another shaft. "Oh, Tipperton, unless a miracle occurs, we are defeated." But still she fought on, as did the Warrows all, though bitter tears ran down.

Back and back were pressed the Allies, some now on the long slope, others to fall screaming to their doom over the brim and down.

Yet even facing annihilation, the host fought valiantly on, laying death about even as on them death fell.

Yet above the screams and shouts of Adon and Elwydd and Rakka and Gyphon, there came "Listen!" cried Tipperton, turning his head this way and that.

– a sound "Do you hear?"

– a deep horn cry "Do you hear, Rynna?"

– and another and another Tipperton raised his black-oxen horn to his lips and blew a ringing call A call which was answered by uncounted black-oxen horns blowing wildly, as the earth reverberated under the pounding of ten thousands of hooves.

"Oh, Rynna, my love, here comes your miracle!"

And thundering 'round the flanks of the hills and down the flats, flags flying white horses on green, came riders and chariots with wheelblades spinning. And with lances lowered and sabers raised and bows drawn taut and spears in hand and horns calling out the charge-Raw! Raw! Raw!- and voices shouting V'takku! V'takku! in the war-tongue Valur, twenty thousand Harlingar charged…

Jord had come at last.

And running full tilt they crashed into the yellow-flagged warriors and drove them aside, many to be hurled over the lip of the rift to fall shrieking to their deaths far below.

And even as DelfLord Valk and his pony-mounted army of Kachar arrived on the heels of the Jordians and fell upon the foe, there came a roaring blast of Mage-fire cleaving through the enemy. Following the path of the flame, High King Blaine and Silverleaf and the Allies drove up from the ramp and out to the hills, to split the foe in two. Hammering out wide, King Blaine turned his forces easterly, and along with King Ranor's Vanadurin on the west as well as the Dwarves of Kachar, they trapped the enemy against the rim. And even though yet outnumbered, they battered the foe back and back.

And fighting in rage and fury and aided at times by the Mages, together the men and Dwarves and Lian and Dyl-vana and Baeron-along with seven Warrows-drove the reeling enemy hindward and down the long ramp and down.

Seething and cursing and roaring battle cries, the Allies drove downward as well, hacking and slashing and piercing and bashing and driving the foe ever deeper. But at last the enemy turned and fled away, for they could not bring their greater numbers to bear. And with the foe in full flight-Hahn, taa-roo! Hahn, taa-roo!-rang the Jordian horns.

"Why do you sound the signal to withdraw?" shouted Tipperton to Linde riding nigh.

" Tis the King's command," she shouted back. "The enemy may be fleeing to lure us into a trap."

"Trap?"

"Aye. They yet outnumber us, and should we pursue them to the floor of the rift, they will have the advantage."

As Linde raised her own black-oxen horn to her lips, so too did Tipperton raise his, and they added their calls to the others-Hahn, taa-roo! Hahn, taa-roo! Hahn, taa-roo taa-roo!

And on a wide level roughly a mile down the ramp, the Allies disengaged, the Dwarves cursing at having to do so. And down and down fled the torn enemy into H?l's Crucible below.