From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(149)

“Blights?” Neph asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Jala said with another shake of her head. “Something is wrong here,” she said softly.

Fishing in his pocket for a moment Neph pulled out the pair of glasses that Sovann had given him and put them on. Slowly he turned his head and scanned the entire field, then turned back to Jala and shook his head no. “It’s clear as far as I can tell,” he said with a shrug.

“I’ll lead the charge. Badger, bring the militia in and disperse the Soulblades among them. Have Wisp and her archers on the sidelines in case there are mages. Neph, you can go sit in the back and read if you like. I got this,” Valor said with a smile as he signaled his knights forward.

“I hope your horse falls on you, Valor,” Neph said dryly without even the trace of a smile to show he was joking.

“Where is Jail? Maybe he can scan the minds of the Avanti commanders before we attack,” Jala said quickly before Valor could fasten his helm in place.

“Jala they will be protected from that,” Valor said with a smile and winked at her. “Have I ever failed you before?” he asked with a grin.

Jala shook her head slowly and let out a long sigh. “No, and I trust you Val. I just have a very bad feeling,” she said softly.

Valor pressed his horse closer and smiled down at her. “We can’t just sit here, Jala. I agree it looks too good to be true, and it probably is. You have to have faith that I can handle whatever they throw at us and I will have faith that you are back here waiting with your magic to support me,” he said in a voice pitched for her ears alone.

“Val…” Jala began but let her voice trail off. She wasn’t sure what she had been about to say, anyway. Swallowing heavily, she nodded and gave him a forced smile. “Kick their ass,” she said at last and nodded, her gaze going once more to the Avanti side. Whatever it was, she would find out soon enough, and Valor was right. They couldn’t simply sit there.

“I’ll bring the Soulblades forward,” Jexon said with a nod as he turned his horse and rode back into the ranks of the army.

“I don’t like nice Jexon. It makes my skin crawl,” Neph said quietly as he watched the Lord ride off.

“Rather unsettling,” Badger agreed. Leaning over in his saddle he kissed Jala lightly on the cheek and smiled at her. “It’ll be fine Curly. Your knight knows what he is doing,” he said in reassurance as he turned his own horse. “Gotta get the militia ready,” he said as he kicked his mount into a trot.

Jala glanced at Neph before turning back to watch Valor ready his knights. When they had come to Merro they had been considered misfits. Now, however, she saw the backbone of her forces. In every fight so far it had been the knights that had led the assault. Valor rode through the ranks nodding to some and patting others on the shoulder before moving forward to take his position in front. “Why does he always have to lead?” Jala muttered

“Just a guess, but I’m going to say it’s because he’s their leader,” Neph offered with a smirk. “It’s Valor, Jala. He is too stupid to stay some place safe. Have you ever once seen him look for the safest place? No he is always right in front in his shiny armor practically begging to be killed,” Neph added rolling his eyes at her.

“He is fearless,” Jala agreed, her eyes still on the knights. They were an impressive sight. There was no denial there.

“No, I said he was brainless,” Neph corrected, then turned to watch as Wisp led her archers past and began to position them on either side of the field. “Almost go time,” Neph said flexing his fingers. “Where the hell is Jail?” He asked, shifting in his saddle once more to look behind them.

“I haven’t seen him all morning,” Jala admitted, though that wasn’t unusual lately. Jail drifted through the camp constantly using his mind fog to keep others from noticing his presence. “I haven’t seen Ash either, now that I think of it,” Jala added with a frown.

“Come to think of it, where is Sovann? What the hell? Did they all desert and we just now noticed?” Neph looked over to her, his gaze leaving the archers, a look of question on his face. “Sovann is always with Wisp, but I don’t see him there now.”

Jala’s frown deepened and she shook her head and shrugged. “I have no idea Neph,” she admitted, her attention returning almost at once to Valor’s knights as the Soulblades joined the field.

Across the battlefield she could see the Avanti archers moving to the front as they prepared for the coming charge. Closing her eyes tightly, Jala whispered a prayer to War on Valor’s behalf.

“Merrodin!” Valor bellowed and she could feel the ground shake as the warhorses thundered across the field. Her eyes opened and she watched with held breath as the Arovan cavalry closed on the Avanti. The air filled with arrows as the enemy archers loosed, but as Valor had told her his wind spell kept any from hitting the Knights.

Jala have you reached the Avanti camp yet? Jail’s voice broke through her mind and she barely registered the words as her eyes followed Valor across the field. The knights on either side of him had branched out to form a wedge formation that would break through the enemy’s lines with ease.

We are engaging them now. Where are you? Jala responded half-heartedly. The pounding in her chest increased as the knights reached the halfway point of the field.