Chapter Seventy-Five: Desperation

Chapter Seventy-Five: Desperation

Seres bodies flew free of the mine shaft, breaking into the late afternoon sun. Tom returned to himself with a gasp. It was the longest period he had spent with his full attention running through one of his familiars by far.

He had knots in his back, and a burgeoning cramp in one leg, but he barely felt either. The others looked at him with concern in the dim light of the basement.

Tom! Are you with us? Is everything okay? What is it you saw? Rosa asked.

Yes, Im fine, its fine, he said. He knew he didnt sound convincing. Rosa quirked an eyebrow at him.

Theres a lot to discuss. Its getting late, though, and we need to be out of the village rings as soon as possible. Really, he knew that the discovery he had made might make them panic, and that would mean they would struggle to make it back out of the armys territory.

Tom, tell us. We- Rosa began.

Rosa! He cut her off sternly. It came out harsher than he intended, and he immediately felt bad about it. She was looking down, flush rising in her cheeks. He would apologise to her later. Now, they had no time. They couldnt afford for this news not to make it back. Luckily, they seemed to take him at face value. He resolved to tell them as soon as they reached the Deep again.

It was funny, really, how the Deep now felt like a safe place for him. He banished the thought, and focused on the present.

Is everyone ready? Lets move.

Seres bodies had returned by now, strewn about the village they were hiding in. Tom made sure they were all clear, then they activated their stealth enchantments and slowly began to make their way back down the trade roads.

At one point, an orc almost blundered directly into them as they were waiting for it to wander past. Tom cast Hush on it, and stabbed it through the neck. Quietly, he dragged the body behind some burned timbers, and they carried on. His heart was stuck in his throat after that, and it wasnt until they reached the Deep again that he began to relax. The information he carried was too important. He had to get back to the cave.

Once they were in the Deep, they picked up speed, trying to get outside the range of frequent orc patrols. It meant they couldnt stop that night, so they simply continued right through, and through the next day as well.

When they stopped that night, safe behind wardpoles from any orcs accidentally stumbling across them, Tom broke the news to the squad.

Errol simply rocked back on the log he was sitting on, his eyebrows raised. Rosa immediately unleashed a furious tirade under her breath. Cass eyes went wide, and she began to tremble.

Tom tried to offer what consolation he could, he hadnt much to give. He didnt see an easy way out of the situation. His mind kept returning to the giant, hulking shapes in the dark. Each was easily ten times the size of a normal orc, if not more. He knew well the amount of power that orcs wiry muscles contained. He shuddered to think how much those behemoths could exert.

Would they be strong enough to threaten the walls? Tough enough to shrug off attacks from the Guards? What if they had skills? Could they forge orc Idealists together?

Tom had no answers to any of the questions, except for a growing certainty that they were in a far worse situation than they had believed. And that was saying something.

They slept fitfully that night, and every night, until they returned to Reas cave.

They strolled in, and found they were again one of the last teams to arrive. The atmosphere was jubilant, completely at odds with how Tom felt inside. It seemed the other operations had gone well. There was even singing in one corner of the cave. They must have gone well indeed.

Tom barely noticed further extensions to the cave as he sought out Val. More walls had been pushed back. The dormitories looked almost finished. Scriber and Cubs workshop even looked a bit bigger, from what he could see through the open door.

He finally found Val, talking excitedly with a few of the other Hunter team leads. She turned and saw his face, and her expression dropped. She could see something was not right.

Tom, whats happened? She glanced around his shoulder, clearly checking all his squad members were still alive. She quickly counted them off, realised that wasnt the issue, and made the logical deduction. What did you find..?

Its bad, Val. Its really bad. The other leaders should hear this too. Val searched his face for a moment, then nodded. She strode off, gathering up the other team leaders, shouting for others. She returned quickly with all of them in tow, except for two who had not yet returned. Scriber came wandering out of his workshop at the commotion. People began to look around.

Val led them all into a new side room, just big enough to hold meetings of this kind. Rosa, Errol and Cass all followed. Everyone found seats, barely more than notches carved straight into the stone, and looked to Tom expectantly.

Rosa shook her head. These are Scribers enchantments. That man is too nice.

Nice. Toms mind flashed to Val, and he knew with sudden certainty who the culprit was.

Well, I guess we cant ask them to undo it all

Rosa snorted then tossed her pack in one corner. Tom followed suit, then began to strip off his leather armour and mail hauberk. It was getting tatty again, after so long without repairs. He would have to see if Cub could work some miracles.

His armour off, he felt like a great burden had been lifted from him. He sunk onto the sheepskins, and all the aches and pains and exhaustion he had been ignoring came roaring back. It was not unpleasant, in a strange way. He knew he would get a deep, uninterrupted sleep, and that he would not be called on for a day or so. Rosa sank onto the sheepskins beside him.

They lay in silence for a while, both clearly taking stock of their various levels of tiredness. Tom wondered whether he had the energy to go and get dinner for them. A sudden thought struck him.

Those logs! The boulders!

Hmmm..? Rosa said.

The materials we thought were for building siege engines. Theyre not rams or catapult stones. Theyre giant spears and slingstones!

That is nice, Tom Cutter, Rosa said.

I should go and tell the team leads. He made to stand, and found a soft hand forcing him back down.

Wayrest will not fall before morning, Tom.

Something in her voice pricked his attention. He turned to her, found her looking at him smokily.

The way you talked to me earlier, in the basement

Oh! I-

Shut up, Tom Cutter. You will ruin this. No. I liked it. It is good to see you taking charge, sometimes.

Toms thoughts spun out, like a water wheel above a river in drought. She had liked it? He had thought she was embarrassed!

Okay, he said, aware that he sounded a little simple.

It is good, she repeated, firmly. Just be sure you do not get too used to it.

Her voice was husky. She toyed with the buttons on her shirt. A seemingly absent-minded, innocuous behaviour, though for once in his life, Tom was not slow on the uptake.

A sudden, overpowering, all-consuming need erupted in him. Perhaps it was the constant danger they had been in. The unending stress. Perhaps it was simply him coming to trust Rosa, to trust that she actually had feelings for him. He knew one thing with blinding clarity.

He needed her. And so he took charge.

For the first time in months, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. No thoughts of orcs, of impending doom, of Wayrest burning, bothered him at all.

He slept, Rosas head on his bare chest, and the world became just a little bit more right.