Page 78 of North Queen
“I’ve sent a bird to the lord justice,” he added, “to let him know we’re in good health and two days from Praetoria.”
The mention of Alexander drew her mind back to the hopelessness of her situation, but she forced a nod. “Good.”
A fire went up in the distance, a perimeter check. It was quickly extinguished, and another continued the pattern. Each post took its turn, signaling all was well.
“How long has it been since you’ve stepped on unfrozen earth?” she asked him, dragging her boot through the dirt.
“I spent last summer on the isle, so it would have been the summer before,” he answered.
She felt born of the winter, not able to recall anything else.
“They say Aleon has winters like our summers,” he said. “I should very much like to see that.”
Summer. Norah liked the thought. “Me too,” she said. She drank the last of the savory liquid from the bowl. A wind rustled through the camp, and she shuddered. “Thank you for the company. I think I’ll retire now,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
But he didn’t answer. His attention was to the south.
“Captain?”
“Wait.” His voice came low, making her skin prickle.
She followed the direction of his gaze but saw only darkness. “What is it?”
“No signal.”
She looked back into the night, straining her eyes to see. “What does that mean?”
“Something’s not right,” Caspian mumbled. He turned back to Norah. “I think returning to your tent is a good idea.”
Norah’s pulse quickened. It was probably nothing, she told herself, but she couldn’t shake the unease.
The captain turned to the soldier closest to them. “I want to know why there’s no signal. Go!”
But as the soldier turned, a wisp of an arrow cut through the dark and hit him in the chest, dropping him to the ground. Then a flurry of whistling darts came, and chaos filled the night.
It took Norah a moment to understand what was happening. Hands pulled her back, and she looked to see Liaman beside her. Soldiers scrambled for their shields and raised them overhead, coming together and forming a defensive circle around her. Her army was spread through the darkness; she couldn’t see them all. A scream sounded in the distance, then it was brutally cut short. Her stomach turned.
They were under attack. Her heart raced.
An agonizing pause came, and she forced herself to push the panic down. She looked to Caspian as he and Liaman stood together with more of her soldiers in front of her. They’d keep her safe.
A second onslaught of arrows came, with the groans of dying men, and then there was another pause. Her men fell on either side of her. Another wave of her soldiers tried to join in her defense but were downed as quickly as they came. Those remaining kicked back the bodies of the dead and circled closer, their shields up and swords ready, and the panic she was trying desperately to keep at bay surged through her.
Shadows moved around them, but the enemy was invisible, and her men fell one by one. All she could see was darkness. It was enough to set fear into the bravest of hearts, but her men stood fiercely.
“Hold!” Caspian ordered.
She heard thesipof an arrow into flesh, and Liaman stumbled back, bumping against her. In the firelight, an arrow protruded from his chest.
“Liaman!” she screamed.
He waved her back as he forced himself to stand and pull his shield back up. But she knew it wouldn’t be enough. And her panic turned to anger.
Another onslaught of arrows came, and two more men fell. Anger erupted into fury. She had to do something. Her men were dying all around her. How many remained? She couldn’t lose another.
“Enough!” she raged. She ducked out from behind her men, screaming into the night. “Show yourselves, cowards!”
“Norah! Get behind me!” Caspian bellowed.
