He felt a spell begin to build, jarring him momentarily from the battle-trance.
"Off the bridge! Off the bridge now!"
He'd nearly reached the far side. He gained it in a few jumps, Isinwen just behind him. Sometime during the crossing the Shadowed Elves had stopped firing. They pushed forward.
The Elves still on the bridge crossed it at a splashing run, single file, hacking at the hands of the Shadowed Elves who lurked in the water trying to drag them from the bridge. The water was knee-deep above the causeway now, and rising. It would be even higher where Umerchiel was.
On the far side of the bridge, the Shadowed Elves seemed to go insane, throwing themselves on Kellen and the others with even greater ferocity than before. There was no thought of restraint now, of tactics. All they wanted to do was kill. Instead of facing them in ones and twos, Kellen was covered with clawing stabbing creatures attempting to tear his armor from his body. Suddenly the cavern rocked.
He'd felt the shaking in the caverns when the Shadowed Elves had opened their dams. That had been nothing in comparison to this. It jarred him to his knees, and it didn't stop. Wirance had been right. The Wildmage's spell would do the Shadowed Elves' work for them.
The Shadowed Elves howled in terror at the quaking, breaking off their attack and turning to flee. It saved Kellen's life if they had taken advantage of the moment, he'd surely be dead.
But they hadn't, and even while the aftershocks still shook the gallery, Kellen rolled to his feet and ran after them.
The Angarussa was running backward.
The river's level was dropping as fast as water draining from a bathtub, and the river was flowing in the opposite direction that it had been before. Already the causeway was exposed again, and the rest of the Elves running across it took full advantage of the moment.
* * * * *
VESTAKIA slept through the rest of the day and into the night, repairing much of the damage she had done to herself in the long struggle to understand the Crystal Spiders. Her sleep, thanks to Idalia's cordial, was without dreams.
She was awakened, very early the following morning, by the arrival of Idalia and Cilarnen.
* * * * *
SHE had seen little of Cilarnen over the past several sennights. Even when she had been down at the Main Camp, he had been in seclusion up at his ice-pavilion, engaged in his mysterious researches. When Idalia first brought him into the pavilion, for one horrified instant, Vestakia thought he had succumbed to the Shadow's Kiss; his eyes glittered fever-bright, there were hectic spots of color in his pale cheeks, and he reeled and staggered on unsteady feet as if he were drunk.
"Cilarnen!" she gasped.
"Another casualty of war," Idalia said ruefully. But the mockery in her tone could not disguise her concern. She lowered him gently onto a bench.
"I'd throw up, I think, if I'd eaten anything much lately," Cilarnen said, rending over to rest his head in his hands.
"What have you been doing to yourself?" Vestakia demanded fiercely.
At her words, he raised his head and smiled at her charmingly.
"Only magick, Lady Vestakia. It is not the simple business for High Mages that it seems to be for Wildmages. Hence, you see, the large city, the many servants… all the things I don't seem to have at the moment."
His tone was light, despite his obvious pain, making her smile despite herself.
"Vestakia, since you seem to be feeling better this morning, perhaps you could tend to our latest patient," Idalia said. "Sweet gruel for his tender stomach, I think, then into bed with him. Keep him warm. And stay with him or I shall put you back into a bed again as well."
Vestakia simply tossed her head.
"Some people, Cilarnen, think that others can do nothing without constant supervision. Shall we show them that they are wrong?"
"Indeed, Lady Vestakia, I would be honored to assist you."
* * * * *
WHILE he ate and drank the light breakfast was really all he could manage just now, after so many days of fasting Cilarnen told Vestakia of his night's labors, and that Jermayan had gone in search of those he had seen in his vision. Her teasing mood instantly sobered.
"But… what could have happened?" she asked in bewilderment.
"That I do not know. But Jermayan has set out to find them and see. Vestakia, there cannot have been a battle. I saw no wounded at all. And… these are the Elven Lands. You've said yourself that the last Enclave of the Shadowed Elves is at Halacira. They were nowhere near that. Certainly it is troubling, but Jermayan will find them soon, and bring news. We shall just have to wait until then."
* * * * *
BUT it was not Jermayan who entered the Healer's Tent to join them, a few hours later, but Keirasti, accompanied by Idalia.
The Elven Knight looked exhausted, and stunned with cold. Vestakia jumped up immediately from her place by Cilarnen's bedside, and went to fetch her a large mug of soup. Soup and tea were always ready and waiting in the Healer's pavilion.
"Before anyone asks, Kellen is alive and well," Idalia said. "At least he was six days ago, when Keirasti left him. And he was nowhere near Halacira."
"Well, there's some good news," Cilarnen said, lying back against his pillows again.
"Indeed it is," Keirasti said. "I judge he is yet a sennight from Halacira. When Jermayan returns from the Crowned Horns, he will take your warning to Kellen, and he will be grateful to receive it, you may be sure."
"I must go with Jermayan," Vestakia said, coming over and handing Keirasti a large mug of thick soup. "I can help."
"No," Keirasti said. "Jermayan has promised he will return me to my command. They await me at the foot of the Mystrals. Ancaladar can only carry two at speed."
"He can take your warning to Kellen," Idalia said gently. "That will be what Kellen needs now. He'll probably send for you anyway very soon, to make sure the caverns are clear."
* * * * *
AND it would be just as well, Idalia reflected, for Vestakia to have a day or two to rest and compose herself before she saw Kellen again. The way she looked right now, the poor girl would probably throw herself into Kellen's arms the moment she saw him, and though her brother might have a head made of wood sometimes, he wasn't made of stone. But he did have a vow of chastity and celibacy that had some moonturns yet to run, and Idalia doubted it would be the easiest thing in the world to remember with a weeping Vestakia in his arms.
"And you'll have plenty to do here before you go. Redhelwar has given the order to move the army south."
"South? We're to move?" Cilarnen sat bolt upright. "But I "
"Must stay right there and rest," Idalia said inexorably. "You will have plenty of time later to pack that mare's nest you call a camp. Which you cannot do if you are facedown in the snow, asleep with exhaustion."
Cilarnen subsided, grumbling.
Just then one of the other Healers entered the tent.
"Ancaladar is flying over the camp. Jermayan will be here soon."
"I must prepare," Keirasti said, setting down her wooden mug. "And hope not to freeze on the return journey."
She got to her feet, picking up two bulky packs that lay at her feet. "I thank you for these, Idalia. Our Healers were running low on supplies."