Lynn Flewelling - The Oracle's Queen

Tamír glanced back and saw her rearmost line being split and smoke rising in the distance. “There’s no help for it. Keep pressing Korin!”

“Damn it, wait for the rest of us!” Ki yelled, hacking down a swordsman who’d lunged on Tamír’s right.

The Aurënfaie had turned to meet the horsemen who’d outflanked them. That left Tamír with her guard and Nyanis’ wing, while Kyman held off another regiment near the middle of the field.

On foot again, she stumbled over bodies, some dead, others crying out in agony as the battle raged back and forth over them. Those who couldn’t drag themselves away were trampled into the mud.

She and the rest of her guard were covered in blood and mire, impossible to tell if they were wounded or not. Nik appeared to be favoring his left arm, Lynx had a cut across his nose, and Barieus was staggering, but they stayed close around her, fighting fiercely. Her own arm was growing heavy and her throat burned with thirst.

The fighting was so thick that it was often difficult to know what part of the field they were on. As the afternoon drew on and the sky began to take on a golden tint, she found herself with one foot in the muddy, blood-tinged water of the stream. The dark line of the forest loomed ahead of her, and suddenly she saw Korin’s banner again, not twenty yards away.

“Ki, look! He’s going into the trees there!”

“Thinks he can hide, does he?” Ki snarled.

“To me!” Tamír shouted, brandishing her sword to show the way. “We’ll capture him in the woods and put an end to this.”

Korin reached the edge of the forest and paused just inside the trees, heart pounding in his ears. He could smell smoke, but the flames were still far off.

“Korin, what are you doing?” Caliel panted, wiping blood and sweat from his face as he caught up.

“You can’t leave the field now!” Porion exclaimed in dismay as the rest of Korin’s guard and a score of men-at-arms gathered around to protect him.

“I’m not. I saw Tobin go in here.”

“Are you sure, Majesty?” Porion asked doubtfully.

Korin caught a flash of blue and white through the trees. “There! See? Come on!”

It was an old forest, with towering firs and little undergrowth. The ground was covered in fallen needles and carpets of soft green moss and mushrooms. Fallen trees lay everywhere, some with needles or leaves clinging to their branches, others weathered silver, shining in the green dusk like the bleached bones of fallen giants.

The fighting had already spilled into the woods, but it was scattered, with small groups battling among the trees. Their cries and curses rang out from all directions.

With Tanil and Caliel at his side, he ran after the banner, leaving the others to follow, leaping over logs and rocks and stumbling over the uneven ground. Korin wrinkled his nose as he ran; the air smelled of death and rot. A sickly odor seemed to enfold him as he pursued the shadowy figure ahead of him.

It was impossible to tell how many were with Tobin, but it didn’t appear that he had a large force.

He’s running away! Korin thought with grim satisfaction. He would redeem his own honor with Tobin’s shame.

Ki imagined enemy archers behind every tree as he ran with Tamír. It was much darker under the trees. The afternoon was waning and rain began to spatter down through the branches again.

“I’m not sure this is wise,” Nikides panted.

“He can’t lead a whole army through here,” Tamír replied, pausing to get her bearings.

“Maybe he’s running away again,” Ki offered.

“I don’t think so.” Tamír strode off again.

“At least let me go back for more people, Majesty,” Una gasped, holding her side.

“Maybe you’re—” Tamír froze, staring at something deeper in the woods.

“What?” Ki tried to make out what had caught her attention.

“I see him,” she whispered.

“Korin?”

“No. Brother.”

The demon was just visible through the trees, and he was waving to her. In the heat of battle, she’d forgotten all about him, but here he was and there was no mistaking his intent. He wanted her to follow him.

Ki caught her arm as she started off. “I don’t see anything.”

“He’s there,” she replied.

“It could be one of his tricks!”

“I know.” But she followed anyway. You are Skala, and Skala is you. You are your brother, and he is you .

Sword in hand, she broke into a run. Ki cursed aloud as he and the others raced to follow.

Korin burst into the clearing and stopped short. Tobin was there waiting for him, sitting on a large stone, face partially hidden by the cheek guards of his helm. It made no sense. He was all alone, without a guard in sight. They must have fallen behind somehow. Korin could hear the crackle of twigs and hushed voices coming from beyond the trees nearby.

Korin ducked back behind a large tree in case there were archers waiting. “Cousin, have you come to surrender?” he called out.

Tobin raised his hands, showing that they were empty.

Too easy.

“He looks no more like a girl than you do,” Alben scoffed.

“Korin, something’s not right,” Caliel warned, frowning at the silent figure.

Tobin stood slowly and took a step toward Korin. “Hello, cousin.”

The pure malice in that voice shocked Korin. It didn’t sound like Tobin; the voice was lower, and hoarse. He could hear the creak and rasp of armor as Tobin undid the chinstrap of his helm and lifted it off.

Korin had never seen such naked hatred on his cousin’s face, or seen him so haggard and pale. His eyes were sunken and looked dark, almost black. This was the Tobin he’d seen in dreams.

Caliel gripped him by the arm. “Kor, that’s not—”

Before he could say more, the ambushers burst from the trees at the far side of the clearing and Korin heard a familiar voice shouting, “Tamír, come back!”

Ki and Lutha broke from the trees, hard on the heels of someone wearing Tobin’s tabard and helm.

“What in the name of Bilairy is it?” Porion gasped, catching a glimpse of the face under the helm.

It was Caliel who replied. “ That is Tamír.”

“Look, it’s Tobin. And there’s Ki!” Tanil started forward, waving happily to them. “Where have you been?”

Korin caught him by the arm. “No, they’re our enemy now.”

Tanil’s eyes clouded with confusion. “No, those are your Companions.”

“Oh gods,” Korin groaned softly. “Cal, how can I—?”

“Tanil, look at me,” Caliel said, letting his sword fall. As the squire turned, Caliel punched him hard in the chin, and the boy dropped at his feet without a sound.

“Damnation!” Ki exclaimed, racing forward to get in front of Tamír. Lutha and Lynx did the same, shielding her from attack. Korin was standing there in plain sight with Porion and Cal at the far edge of the clearing, well within bowshot. Ki caught glimpses of movement all through the trees on that side.

Tamír paid them no mind, staring instead at Brother, who was dressed in her clothes and armor. “You!”

The demon turned slightly to leer at Tamír. As always, the light struck him wrong, not touching him as it did the living. His black hair gave back no sheen. Ki swallowed hard, recalling what the Oracle had told Tamír in Afra. Something about her being him and him being her. They’d never looked less alike.

“What sort of trick is this?” Korin called. “Have you brought your necromancers after all?”

Brother slowly began to advance on Korin, hissing, “Son of Erius, I am not Tobin and I am not Tamír.”

“He’s going after him!” Ki whispered. If Brother killed Korin, this would all end.