Fearless (Nameless #3)(86)
Chief Naat offered a sober nod.
Gryphon walked ahead with the Alpha, just outside the mouth of the narrow canyon where the other half of the Wolf forces stood. They were joined by the bloodied Wolf survivors. The Allies last line of defense.
“Whatever happens, do not let them past you. Work together or they’ll cut through your defenses like clay.” The adrenaline wafting off his men was almost tangible as they hid themselves on either side of the canyon exit. They needed to create the illusion that the way was clear. “Quiet down and wait for my order to strike!” Gryphon called as loud as he dared.
Satisfied there was nothing more he could do, Gryphon concealed himself behind a boulder, bouncing on his feet to keep his muscles warm. Sitting still, he might have had time to consider the consequences of failure.
Before Zo could stop him, Joshua charged the Seer, sword in hand.
“No!” Zo cried out. But it was too late. One of the Seer’s men stepped in to parry the attack but Joshua’s momentum carried him forward as man, boy, and Seer collided.
“Stupid, worthless boy!” The Seer shoved him off her chest. A red gash above her brow wept two distinct trails of blood down her face and into her eyes.
“You bring Gryphon and your clan shame.” She wiped the blood from her eyes. “You always have.” Joshua rolled backward to gain his feet but another soldier leapt forward and threw his fist into the boy’s face.
Joshua’s head whipped back. His body went limp and flew through the air before landing in a sloppy skid on the ground. Lifeless. Broken.
Hands clamped down on Zo’s arms, binding her wrists behind her back. She screamed and bucked, gaze fixed on the motionless form of Joshua on the ground. He’d tried to defend her. He’d probably felt it was his duty.
“Bring the boy. The chief will enjoy this pair for our first prizefight in our new home.”
“How?” Zo gasped, between sobs. “How did you get here?” The pass was blocked with Wolves. There was no way the Seer and her men could get past them this morning.
“There are two passes that lead to the Wolves, my dear.”
Realization dawned. Impossible. “You came through the slot canyon and the Allied Camp. The southern pass.”
The Seer laughed. “I’ve known about that camp for years.”
“Commander Laden—”
“Is a fool to think he could keep something so large from the Seer.” Her voice took on a hard edge.
If what she was saying was true, the Ram could have invaded the Allies long ago. “What stopped Barnabas from—”
“Barnabas didn’t know about the Camp until recently. Men can be so fickle, you know. They let their pride override logic. I am the chief’s eyes and I allow him to see only what is best for our clan.”
If only Zo could get her hands free. She’d managed to pull energy from men in Gryphon’s old mess when they’d held her captive in the wilderness. If she could just manage to break her bonds, she could do it again.
Glancing back, Zo saw a soldier carrying Joshua over his shoulder. The kid’s gangly limbs flopped around, making the journey difficult.
Zo stumbled. The hands holding her biceps caught her but not before her knee jarred against the ground. “Where are you taking us?” she asked, tugging again on the ropes securing her wrists.
The Seer’s smile spread like a slow blooming flower across her face. “The battle, of course.” She moved right into Zo’s path, forcing the entourage to halt as she leaned close to Zo. “I want you to witness every life you can’t save, every son of the Wolves whose blood spills. To see what happens when animals contend with the only worthy clan in the region.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Gryphon’s heart beat heavily in his ears, so strong that he hoped Barnabas and the surviving Ram troops couldn’t hear. The sound of boots crunching against loose river rock carried through the canyon. It was hard to tell exactly how far away the Ram were from the mouth. One turn? Maybe two?
Gryphon looked up the sheer walls on either side of the ravine, where hundreds of Raven perched in hiding. Their arrows would be hungry for Ram blood. Hopefully they could marshal themselves until he gave the signal.
The sound of the approaching army grew louder, echoing off the walls of the ravine. Even though the Wolves managed to reduce their numbers some, the majority of the approaching Ram army was still intact. Gryphon’s plan was like catching a tiger by the tail. One wrong move and they’d get the teeth.
“Steady,” Gryphon whispered to the restless men around him.
Finally, when the echoing clatter of the Ram army seemed to surround them, the first wave of soldiers turned the corner. The path was so narrow that only ten men could travel abreast at one time.
Barnabas walked alone before the whole group. He carried his massive round shield on one arm but his sword remained sheathed at his hip. He studied the walls on either side of the ravine with such intensity that Gryphon feared the Raven would be spotted if so much as a toe were exposed. Gryphon pressed back against the rock, his chest rising and falling as he steeled his nerves.
Fifty yards between them. Barnabas led his troops forward without pause.
A little farther. A little farther.
Forty yards.
Thirty yards, and more Ram continued to turn the corner. There were so many. Many more than Gryphon had estimated. For his trap to work, they all had to fit into the straight stretch of ravine floor that arrowed out of the canyon.