Page 42 of The Prince's Sacrifice

Sighing, Tor said, “Pray we find them before they attack. It’s harder to ignore me when I’m standing right in front of them.”

Pel almost laughed. It was true; it was one thing to sneak off with, presumably, the captain of the guard ordering you to follow King Forex’s instructions. But defying the High Prince to his face? Surely, no one would think that was wise.

“Also, pray this confounded rain stops,” Tor added, sounding disgusted. “I prefer my baths to be indoors and warm.”

“And ideally not with your clothing on?” Pel suggested.

Tor slanted a smile at him. “Yes, I’d much prefer to be naked with you right now.”

And, Pel assumed, anywhere but up this mountain. But Tor was still doing it without complaint, because the alternative was worse.

What in the goddess’s name were these guards doing? Nothing but trying to prevent slaughter and a possible war were driving Pel and Tor on. Why were the guards so determined?

Pel sighed. He supposed he couldn’t blame them if these were their orders. It wasn’t like they’d been asked for their opinions. Deciding theydidn’twant to follow orders was a good way to get thrown out. Pel was just grumbling because he was soaked to the skin and hiking through a mountain in the middle of the night when he could be cozy in bed with Tor under any other circumstances.

And then Cavun stiffened ahead of them, and a moment later, Pel heard it, too. Amidst the sound of the rain and the thunder, there was the sound of metal striking metal.

Chapter Eight

Pel

Tor swore. It didn’t look like he was going to get his wish that the guards were found before an attack began.

When they were all clustered together, Tor said, “Stay close. We don’t know what we’re going to find. Pel, your quiver.”

Confused, Pel nevertheless held out his quiver, and a moment later, all his arrows glowed with Tor’s magic. He felt a brief pang of affection for the archery tournament, even with its huge misunderstanding. He’d definitely rather be back there than here.

But he readied his bow anyway, and they headed onward cautiously. The path twisted several times… and then spilled them out into an open area, the widest they’d seen since they’d started climbing the treacherous mountain path. Pel had a vague memory that there was a clearing where traders from Filon and Tond met so that neither group had to go all the way through the mountains. Was this that place?

The mountain continued to loom on their right-hand side, and Pel assumed there was a sheer drop somewhere on their left. In that direction, all he saw was impenetrable darkness, even when the lightning struck.

And between the bulk of the mountain and the drop over the edge was a seething mass of people locked in combat.

It was impossible to tell what was going on, though it looked like the fighting was concentrated further ahead of them, suggesting the exiles had been making for Filon and not Tond. Pel didn’t know this area terribly well. He’d only been to Filon a handful of times, and his family had traveled either via the Great River or the Great Road that went through Bessar before crossing into Filon. Pel could see now why no one had suggested the mountain pass. The proximity must have made it worthwhile for those who lived here in the southwest of Tond, but Pel couldn’t really fathom it right now.

Rain was sheeting down and obscuring all the details of the scene. The boom of thunder sounded as though it was right over their head before the lightning crackled, practically blinding them and casting everything in stark relief for a second before it went dark again. Ahead of them, there was the occasional glow of magic that showed that an Illustrious had Mantled a weapon or shield. Pel knocked an arrow, his heart sinking.

He was sure they were still in Tond, since the mountain still rose to the right of them, which meant the guards were within their right to fight the exiles here. Pel was certain his father hadordered Sir Cloril to pursue them wherever they were—but that didn’t matter if they’d been found here. Goddess help them.

Staring into the chaos, he felt like he could barely comprehend it. The lightning was disorienting, the thunder astonishingly loud, and the violence and sudden movements of the fighters made them even harder to track. But slowly, he acknowledged that the sheer mass of humanity in front of him meant this was a huge force.

It had to be hundreds, perhaps even nearing a thousand people, and it was impossible to tell from this vantage point if one side was winning. There was shouting, screams, and an inordinate amount of mud and rain that obscured everything.

Why were so many exiles here? Were they planning to invade Filon? As far as Pel knew, there hadn’t been any hint of trouble with the exiles in Filon in several years—probably, he realized suddenly, since Tor had led the High King’s guards to stop them and had then erroneously ordered a dozen of those guards over the mountain after the exiles.

So if theywereheading to Filon now, why foment such upset in Tond with their savage attack? Had they thought they could get away with it because they were leaving? If so, they’d made a possibly fatal error.

The thunder and lightning were happening almost simultaneously now, telling Pel that the storm was right overheard. The dazzling light followed by the plunge into darkness was lending everything an unreal, nightmarish quality.

There was no chance that Tor could stop the fighting, but now that they were here, there was no way they could just stand by and watch Tondians die, either.

Pel could see the same bleak realization on Tor’s face. “I can’t separate them. I can barely tell them apart.” He swore. “Goddess help us.”

Pel couldn’t even stay back and shoot people because it was too hard to see what he was doing. He really didn’t want to crown this disaster by shooting his own people. Many of them were wearing helmets, but he couldn’t be sure that was only the Tondian guards. He unsheathed his sword instead.

“Your Highness,” Beluna protested. “I feel it’s my duty to point out that if you and Prince Pelun die here, there’s every chance this really will start a war.”

Pel and Tor exchanged glances. She was likely right. But these werehis people. He might not agree with what they were doing, but most of them were following orders in good faith.