Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)(218)

"You should get food," Tavi said. "Rest. We'll need your crafting soon."

In answer, Max took a ceramic bowl from beneath his cloak, and passed it to Tavi. It was so warm that he could feel it through his gloves, but as the scent of the thick stew reached his nose, a sudden demand from his belly overruled his caution, and he gulped down the stew, barely pausing to chew the meat. Max had a second bowl, and kept Tavi company.

"All right," Tavi said. "I should probably-"

"Marcus is organizing," Max said. "Said you should eat. Sit down for a minute. So relax."

Tavi began to shake his head and deny him, but his aching body prevented him from doing more than leaning up against the wall.

"This is pretty bad," Tavi said quietly. "Isn't it?"

Max nodded. "Worst I've seen."

From startlingly nearby, there was the frantic snarl of an enraged Cane and the violent thrashing of water. Max had his sword out of his sheath before the sound died away, and his gaze flickered around them. "What the crows..."

Tavi hadn't moved. "It's in the river below us."

Max arched an eyebrow. "Shouldn't it concern us if they're sending troops across."

"Not particularly. It's been happening since nightfall. They haven't made it to this side yet."

Max frowned. "Water furies?"

"You think I'd let the healers waste their time on something like that?" Tavi asked.

"You're too clever for your own good, Calderon," Max growled.

"Sharks," Tavi said.

"What?"

"Sharks. Big fish with big teeth."

Max lifted his eyebrows. "Fish?"

"Mmmm. Attracted to blood in the water. Tribune Cymnea's been collecting from everyone butchering animals in the camp and the down, and dumping the blood into the river. The sharks followed the blood trail up from the sea. Hundreds of them. Now they're hitting everything that goes for a swim." Tavi made a vague gesture at the water. "Old fisherman who works this river told me it even attracted a baby leviathan. Little one, about forty feet long."

Max grunted. "Fish. Sooner or later they're going to get full, and the Cane are going to have an assault team on this side of the river. You should let me send some of my riders out to patrol the shore."

"No need," Tavi said. "Kitai will spot any Cane that gets through."

"Yeah?" Max said. "There's only one of her, Calderon. What can she do that fifty of my men can't?"

"See in the dark," Tavi said.

Max opened his mouth, then shut it again. "Oh."

"Besides, " Tavi said, "if she wasn't there, she'd be here."

Max blew out a breath. "Yeah. Always clever."

"Not always," Tavi said. He could hear the bitterness in his voice. "Nasaug made a fool out of me."

"How?"

"I thought he was delaying his attack just to tweak Sari's nose. That wasn't what he was doing at all. Sari was stupid enough to order a major attack against the walls with an hour of daylight left. Nasaug managed to stall that attack until night fell, when the Canim would have a major advantage. He broke the gates, then he fixed it so their most expendable troops would soak up the losses from the fire trap." Tavi shook his head. "I should have realized what he was doing."

"Even if you had," Max said, "it wouldn't have made any difference."

"And those bolt throwers." Tavi's stomach fluttered as he thought of the men they had slain. "Why did I sit around thinking that they would only have hand-thrown weapons for ranged combat."