Richard Tuttle - Army of the Dead

“I am really making a mess of this rescue,” he frowned. “We will have to find another way out.”

“I still can’t believe that you came to get me,” replied StarWind. “You must have known that your odds were slim?”

“The odds were acceptable,” HawkShadow replied vaguely.

Unexpectedly, a black-cloaked mage appeared on the pathway. StarWind grabbed HawkShadow’s hand and led him onto the path behind the mage. As the mage approached the gate, he waved his hand and muttered some unintelligible words. The gate swung open. HawkShadow and StarWind quickened their pace and walked through the gate before it closed. The mage in front of them immediately lowered his hood and bared his head. HawkShadow gazed around the dark campsite. Very few people were moving about, but all of them had their heads bared.

“Everyone has their hood down,” whispered HawkShadow. “I do not like the looks of this.”

“Not to mention that the exit gate will also be magically sealed,” added StarWind. “I did not think of that until we were already through the gate. We may have just made a very big mistake.”

“Will anyone recognize you?” asked HawkShadow.

“Only one mage saw me,” answered StarWind. “We will stand out if we keep our hoods on. I am willing to risk it. Lower your hood.”

The two Sakovans lowered their hoods as they walked through the black campsite. None of the other mages walking around appeared to take notice of the two Sakovans. HawkShadow tried to steer a path away from the magical lights that dotted the campsite, but it was impossible. Most of the lights were along the pathways, and walking between tents would arouse suspicion.

“Do you suppose the black fence is to stop the light from being seen outside the campsite?” asked HawkShadow.

“It is possible,” shrugged StarWind, “but I think there is another reason as well. The mages are considered the elite of Motanga. They look down on the soldiers as beings that are barely human, and the soldiers resent it greatly.”

“I sensed as much on the Island of Darkness,” nodded HawkShadow, “but I did not think it was so widespread.”

“There is the exit gate,” StarWind said with joy evident in her voice.

“And how will we get through it?” asked HawkShadow as he slowed his pace. “There is not even a safe place to hide and wait for someone to open it.”

HawkShadow’s eyes roved around the enclosure and came to rest on the black fabric of the fence.

“I need to check the fence,” HawkShadow whispered. “If it is only cloth, we can cut it and run.”

“It may be magical as well,” warned StarWind. “Be careful.”

HawkShadow nodded and moved to a section of the fence away from the exit gate. He cautiously stretched out his hand and touched the fabric of the fence. A searing jolt raced up his arm and his body was thrown backwards. Immediately the air filled with the sounds of blaring horns. Shouts rang out from every direction as the mages of Motanga scurried to defend their campsite.

The mage section of the Motangan encampment was akin to a beehive that had just been poked with a long stick. Shouts rang out in every direction as mages poured out of their tents. HawkShadow’s body seared with pain from touching the fabric fence, but he gritted his teeth and rolled to the side of the nearest tent to get out of the glare of the nearest mage light.

StarWind stood frozen, staring at HawkShadow until she realized that others were responding to the alarm. She tore her eyes away from her fellow Sakovan and began looking around at the other mages. Black-cloaked mages were running in every direction as they sought out the cause for the alarm.

HawkShadow closed his eyes and tried to calm his body. Within moments his limbs ceased shaking, and he sighed with a small measure of relief. He forced himself to sit up and felt light-headed. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw dark shadows racing through the night. He shook his head and stood up. He looked over the tent in search of StarWind, but he could not see her. A mage ran behind the tent and stared questioningly at HawkShadow.

“Nothing here,” HawkShadow said groggily. “Do you know what area the alarm came from?”

“No,” replied the mage as he turned and ran.

HawkShadow turned and went in the opposite direction from the mage. He joined the growing crowd searching for the intruders, while his eyes scanned the crowd for the Sakovan spymaster.

“We may not get out of this,” StarWind whispered as she came up behind HawkShadow.

“Stealth certainly isn’t an option,” nodded HawkShadow as he watched hundreds of black-cloaked mages milling around.

“Quiet!” a bald-headed mage shouted to the compound as the alarm horns ceased blaring. “Everyone shut up and listen.”

It took several minutes for the mage campsite to quiet down, but it eventually fell silent.

“I want everyone to go and stand in front of your own tent,” ordered the bald-headed mage. “Make sure that everyone standing with you belongs in your tent. If there is someone that you do not recognize, shout for assistance.”

The mages started quietly moving towards their tents. HawkShadow and StarWind were the only ones standing still. StarWind quickly grabbed HawkShadow’s hand and led him along the fence as if they were heading for a tent.

“We are dead,” StarWind proclaimed. “There is not tent for us to stand in front of.”

“And soon we will be the only people not in front of a tent,” nodded HawkShadow. “What do you want to do?”

* * *

The blaring horns caught SkyDancer’s attention. She immediately turned her choka and raced through the forest towards the noise. As she reached the top of a small rise, she saw the mages’ well-lit campsite. She slowed her choka and rode along the crest of the rise as her eyes scanned the fenced-in area. A black cloth fence ran for hundreds of paces to each side of a gate, and the area beyond the fence was dotted with black tents. Hundreds of black-cloaked mages milled about, apparently in search of intruders.

SkyDancer’s eyes were drawn to one of the mages who was not moving. She stared in disbelief as she recognized StarWind. Her eyes continued moving as SkyDancer searched for HawkShadow, but she could not find him. When she looked back for StarWind, the spymaster was gone. SkyDancer immediately wove an air tunnel and directed it to where she knew Goral was waiting.

“StarWind is alive,” SkyDancer said softly. “I just saw her. She is in the mage compound and not under guard. I think she is trying to escape, but the whole compound is awake and alert.”

“Don’t do anything foolish,” warned Goral. “I am on my way.”

“I will wait for you,” promised SkyDancer, “but I cannot see HawkShadow. I suspect it was he who triggered the alarm by trying to get out. I think they have gotten themselves into a losing position this time.”

Goral did not answer as he was already mounting Bertha and racing towards SkyDancer’s position. SkyDancer dropped the air tunnel and gazed down at the encampment. She noted that the two sentries outside the gate were looking into the compound and not away from it. Their attention was drawn by the alarm and the ruckus inside the fence.

Suddenly she heard one of the mages shout loudly. The man’s voice carried through the night air, and SkyDancer heard his instructions to the mages. She watched as the mages moved towards their tents. That was when she noticed StarWind and HawkShadow standing together. For a brief moment, they were the only two black-cloaked figures standing still. Even though the two Sakovans eventually started walking, SkyDancer knew that in mere moments they would be discovered as imposters.