47

As Cavorian had predicted, the tracks led us almost directly toward Raven Rock. Skjoldr and his men scouted ahead, and when we were within half a mile of the camp, Cavorian wisely instructed us to douse our torches in the snow. The enemy would surely know that we were coming, but that didn't mean we had to give away our location. Some of the Legion soldiers were uneasy about putting the torches out, which left us in almost total darkness, but Skjoldr's men could lead us the rest of the way. But we did not remain in the dark for long.

Up ahead through the wall of trees, we could eventually see the light of torches where Raven Rock used to be. The main buildings in the compound had been burned to the ground, leaving the mercenaries nothing to hide behind in an effort to ambush us, but they had placed torches along the perimeter. They would be waiting for us to attack.

I wondered why they had not left Raven Rock behind and continued all the way back to their hideout in the mountains, but I suspected that they were simply too tired to make the trip, after traveling all the way to Fort Frostmoth and then back here after their defeat. They must have hurried to stay ahead of us, so they would be tired and discouraged. Making the trek north all the way to their hideout might have stretched their endurance, even though their camp would be far easier to defend.

I smelled some kind of trap. Lighting up so many torches made some sense, because they would want to see us coming. But it would make even more sense for them to leave the compound completely dark, hoping to catch us off-guard. The torches were meant to draw our attention.

But they hadn't counted on Skjoldr and his Nord warriors. I saw Anjolnr appear from out of the darkness, his breath misting in the cold and his eyes glimmering excitedly. His sword blade looked black. He hadn't even bothered to wipe the blood from it from the fighting earlier.

"They are lying in wait for us," he whispered. "South of the mine, hiding beyond the edge of the camp."

"What does your Chief suggest?" Cavorian whispered back.

"Did they have archers when they attacked the fort?"

"Not that I know of. Probably not."

"If they don't have archers, then you should continue straight into the camp and let them see you. We will be waiting for them to come after you, and will hit them from behind. But your men will be exposed."

"I don't like that idea. Why can't we just sneak up behind them?"

Anjolnr cast a vaguely disrespectful glance at the Legion soldiers. "You would make too much noise. We can get into position without being spotted. But we can't tell exactly where they all are hiding, so we will need you to draw them out."

Gaea crept up beside me and said in a low voice, "Why don't you join up with the Nords and help them with the sneak attack?"

I had considered it. But instead, I merely shook my head. I would let Skjoldr and his men handle that part of our plan. I preferred to face my enemies head-on.

After Anjolnr had gone back to get into position, Cavorian turned to his small group of soldiers. Including Cavorian and myself, there were twenty-three of us in total. He knelt down in the snow and began muttering a prayer to the Nine Divines, and I stood by while some of the other Legion soldiers joined in the prayer. I heard the names of the Nine: Akatosh, Dibella, Mara, Talos, Stendarr, Arkay, Kynareth, Julianos, and Zenithar. But I did not join in the prayer, as I had no words for their gods and drew no comfort from them.

"It is time," Cavorian said, drawing his sword. "Head right into the middle of the camp and follow my lead. Once the fighting starts, be sure not to strike the Nords by mistake. The men who have killed our brothers will not escape us this time."

We marched straight forward and emerged into the ruined camp. The torches lit up the clearing in a flickering yellow light, every piece of wreckage and charred timber sending long shadows back to the trees. Above us, the sky was black and clear, the stars bright.

If the mercenaries did have archers, then we were prime targets now. But no arrows sailed in our direction as we walked cautiously through the destroyed camp. I glanced into the trees, hoping to scan some sign of the enemy, but something else drew my attention away. The mine office, the only building still standing, had lights in some of the windows, and I could swear that I caught motion in one of them.

A thought struck me. Falx had not attacked the fort with his hired soldiers, but might he be here at Raven Rock? Was that him I glimpsed in the window?

"Wait," Cavorian hissed.

We saw a brief flash of light in the trees, the reflection of torchlight on a swinging blade, and then a cry of surprise. In the blink of an eye, a wave of men swarmed from the trees, followed immediately by a second wave descending upon the first. Skjoldr and his men launched in from behind, and with a terrifying chorus of war cries they smashed into the unprotected rear of the mercenary ambush.

We charged right into them and the entire clearing erupted in combat as more men flooded in from other directions. The Nords had detected the main force, but there were others coming from behind the mine office to attack us from the other side.

I jumped into the fray, hacking and slashing with abandon, the sword like a huge lead weight in my arms. My body flared with weariness and exertion, but adrenaline and the surge of battle rage pushed the pain aside. The only thing keeping the fight somewhat even was that both sides were already tired and drained. But with a clash of swords and cry of anger, they collided and spread the fight across the camp.

Captain Cavorian fought like a wild man, heaving his longsword back and forth in a brutal arc, his eyes blazing with fury. In another life, he would have made a fine Nord. I caught glimpses of Skjoldr Wolf-Runner bashing aside his enemies effortlessly, towering over them like a giant, his sword a terrible weapon of judgment. The Legion soldiers fought with calculated precision, while the Nords fought wildly and unpredictably. Bodies lurched and fell, blood spilled, and the woods were filled with the cries of death and the sounds of battle.

"Finish them!" someone cried, but I didn't know which side he was on.

We were outnumbered at first, but the Nords strategy had evened the odds greatly, and we cut into the mercenaries from two sides even as they attempted to do the same to us. I ducked and dodged swinging axes, lunging forward to skewer my opponents when an opening presented itself. My arm shook with the impacts on my battered wooden shield, and would likely be numb in the morning. If I saw the morning, that is.

One of them managed to knock my sword away and slam his shoulder into me, knocking me flat on my back. I kicked him hard in the knee and it buckled underneath him, sending him tumbling down as well. Before I could get back to my feet, he raised his sword to finish me, and then a Legion soldier with flowing red hair swooped in and stabbed him in the chest.

"Come on," Gaea said breathlessly, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet.

We surged forward and battled down the ragged mercenaries, their blood splashing across the snow. The fighting went on until some of them finally realized they were doomed, and began to run off into the forest.

"Don't let them escape!" Cavorian cried.

Some of the Legion soldiers began to chase after the retreating mercenaries, but I held my ground and looked around frantically. In the heat of battle, I had forgotten all about the mine office and the person I had seen in the window. Looking back, I could see the front doors of the office hanging open and a body silhouetted in the doorway. They were trying to sneak out while we were paying attention to the retreating mercenaries.

"There!" I shouted. "In the office!"

I ran straight for the office as the person in the doorway ducked back inside, slamming the door. Someone shouted behind me but I didn't stop. The office building was built up next to the rock formation that served as the entrance to the mine, but the wooden ramp that led up to the raised deck was burned and broken. I had to jump up to the deck and climb to get to the front doors.

"Sasha, wait for me!" Gaea said as she came up behind me. A few other Legion soldiers were coming as well, and one of them shouted a warning suddenly, pointing up over my shoulder.

I dove to the side, pulling Gaea down with me, as something crashed down beside us and exploded into a ball of fire. We scrambled to the side as fire splashed across the front of the deck where the ramp entrance used to be, blocking the other soldiers from climbing up.

Gaea shrieked and swatted my leg, which was suddenly on fire. We smothered the flames and crawled away from the overbearing heat. Another oil lamp dropped down from the second-story window and crashed, spilling flaming oil across the main section of the deck. The Legion soldiers ran around to the side of the building and tried to get up to the deck from there.

"Let's wait for them," Gaea insisted.

"No way," I said, shaking out of her grip.

I ran forward, heedless of the flames, and kicked in the front door, rushing inside.