Empire of Ashes

Chapter LIV - Ready or Not

We were left to our own devices after that. Tem, Anlai and the Iyrak held a war council in front of the army. They included everyone who wanted a say — only northerners, as it turned out. Kiare and Ronan were among them, but I wasn't in the mood to greet either of them.

I listened from a distance, but most of it was either in Cambrian or switched back and forth so fluidly that it was impossible to comprehend. They weren't trying to be exclusive, naturally, but they used Cambrian in war to hide commands from their enemies, so most of the battle-related terms had no Anglian equivalent.

Tom came to stand beside me. Not to listen, obviously, or to talk, but rather just to keep me company. He stayed there even after the meeting dispersed and after the northerners re-joined me, still arguing about something in Cambrian. I was disinclined to join in.

Someone pushed through the crowd to reach our little group. It was the smith, six and a half feet of pure muscle, his hammer resting on one huge shoulder, and he was staring at us with one of the most discontented expressions I had ever seen.

"This will end badly, northerner," he told Temris.

"It will end all the worse if you don't help us," Tem retorted. "I suggest you find your courage, because there are several thousand chains to break this afternoon. You can start with mine."

And with that, he sat himself upon the ground, legs spread apart to stretch the chain over a rock, and he waited expectantly. The blacksmith glowered in an unhappy, unwilling sort of way, but he did oblige — sending his hammer swinging downwards. It was a deliberately careless blow. It struck the chain, yes, but it also landed within two inches of a rather delicate part of his anatomy.

There was a moment of tense silence. Colloe and Fendur bristled, unhappy with such a blatant threat, but a shake of the warlord's head kept them still. And then Tem started laughing, and he didn't stop. It was spontaneous, innocent amusement, and it felt out of place on a battlefield. But he just kept laughing, and the tiniest of smiles tugged at my own lips.

"My apologies, if I have offended you," Tem offered, but the smith simply lifted an eyebrow. "Or ... annoyed you? Whichever. It wasn't my intention."

That was the end of his attempt at bridge-building. With an infectious grin, he walked back to his Iyrak, stretching his legs out now that he didn't have to measure his steps.

"Would you mind...?" I put in, gesturing at the chain which dangled from my wrist. I found shields heavy enough already, let alone with that added weight.

"I didn't put manacles on your wrists, girl," the smith muttered, visibly confused.

"No," I agreed and sighed.

He frowned, but he obliged and broke the chain off closer to my wrist so I wouldn't have to drag it around. Then, at my coaxing, he struck off the manacles from both my wrists. Tom was next to be liberated, then the smith began doing the rounds of the northern slaves. Doubtless there were others who plied his trade in Canton, and they would be doing the same amongst the rest of the army, and where there were no smiths there were men with pickaxes who could chip away the metal links.

Someone must have sent runners for the other hills and perhaps men to kill the soldiers who guarded them, because I could see other massive crowds moving towards us. Not soldiers — I knew because they milled and trembled like overturned anthills. We had a while before they reached us and longer still before the soldiers could march on our growing army.

So it was time to prepare. The scant layer of food in the wagons was discarded without a second thought, although a group of children were soon squabbling over the nicer apples. Eirac and another northerner then removed the canvas coverings to expose the fresh-forged weapons beneath.