by sliding down the steep turf. He'd lost his footing and was rolling, helpless to save himself from a bone-shattering fall onto the faceted rocks at the foot of the slope.
Minelas flung up a hand and a swirl of sapphire light halted Avayan's headlong tumble, righting him just before the final drop. The warrior clung to the steep slope, pressing his face into the grass, digging in his fingers and toes. Then he looked cautiously up, first towards the clifftop, then slowly around and down, to stare open-mouthed at the men down on the jetty. Above, the corsairs still trying to flog the black horse to its feet.
'If they can't get down, we still can't get up.' Gefren tried to keep reproach out of his voice.
Minelas didn't respond, the slightest smile tugging at one corner of his full mouth.
One of the other corsair horses whickered, disconcerted. The wind from the sea wound a skein of pale dust around the would-be attackers. Another horse neighed, panicked as the soil beneath its hooves blew away. Now all the animals were seized with the same fear, tossing their heads and scrabbling vainly for a firmer footing.
The rearmost riders tried to turn their horses around, to make for the top of the cliff. As they did so, one swung its muscular rump into another horse, sending it sliding down to fall against the first to stumble. Both riders fell from their saddles. As they tumbled down the slope, they grabbed at each other, at tufts of grass and knife-edged rocks. A slick of blue light appeared, not to save them but to stop them getting any handhold.
On hands and knees, Avayan had been cautiously picking his way across the slope to the comparatively safety of the path. He pressed himself to the grass shuddering as the corsairs slid past him to plummet, screaming, onto the murderous rocks below.
'Saedrin save us,' Narich breathed.
Now the topmost edge of the sandstone cliff was crumbling into razor-edged shards. Slings of sapphire magelight whirled around to hurl a lethal rain at the corsairs still struggling with their horses. A screaming man fell head over heels before his falling steed crushed him into bloody silence. Men and animals slipped, stumbled and fell with yells and uncomprehending shrieks of pain. A horse tumbled helplessly, its legs snapping audibly. They all landed hard on the broken rocks, agonized echoes of their final screams lingering for some moments after the last corsair had fallen to his death.
Gefren drew a shaking breath and bowed low to Minelas. 'Master mage--'
'Let's be on our way.' Entirely indifferent to what he had done, the wizard strode along the jetty towards Elkan and the boy with the horses. The warrior was looking as wide-eyed as the child at the mangled bodies at the foot of the slope.
'Trooper!' Gefren shouted harshly. 'Mount up.'
Elkan gathered his wits and proffered a set of reins with a shaking hand as Minelas reached him. The wizard sprang competently into the saddle while the fisher-lad fled, ashen-faced.
Narich's dour face cracked in a slow grin as he walked beside Gefren. 'Those bastard raiders aren't going to know what's hit them.'
* * *
'I have beacons manned all along the coast and fast horses ready to carry word inland.' Lord Halferan was pacing back and forth in front of his canopied chair. Below, the great hall was full of men quietly speculating with suppressed excitement. Halferan's brown eyes grew distant. 'As soon as we see the first ships--'
Minelas was seated at a trestle table set up on the dais. He leaned over a wide silver bowl of water tainted with ink. 'No.'
The mage's single soft word silenced the entire hall.
'What do you mean?' Halferan asked the question for everyone.
'See for yourself, my lord,' Minelas invited.
Halferan squared his shoulders and walked over to look into the scrying bowl.
'This spell--' He hesitated.
'Do you recognise this anchorage?' asked Minelas.
'I do.' Halferan frowned. He raised his head to look at his expectant warriors. 'It's
Minelas flung up a hand and a swirl of sapphire light halted Avayan's headlong tumble, righting him just before the final drop. The warrior clung to the steep slope, pressing his face into the grass, digging in his fingers and toes. Then he looked cautiously up, first towards the clifftop, then slowly around and down, to stare open-mouthed at the men down on the jetty. Above, the corsairs still trying to flog the black horse to its feet.
'If they can't get down, we still can't get up.' Gefren tried to keep reproach out of his voice.
Minelas didn't respond, the slightest smile tugging at one corner of his full mouth.
One of the other corsair horses whickered, disconcerted. The wind from the sea wound a skein of pale dust around the would-be attackers. Another horse neighed, panicked as the soil beneath its hooves blew away. Now all the animals were seized with the same fear, tossing their heads and scrabbling vainly for a firmer footing.
The rearmost riders tried to turn their horses around, to make for the top of the cliff. As they did so, one swung its muscular rump into another horse, sending it sliding down to fall against the first to stumble. Both riders fell from their saddles. As they tumbled down the slope, they grabbed at each other, at tufts of grass and knife-edged rocks. A slick of blue light appeared, not to save them but to stop them getting any handhold.
On hands and knees, Avayan had been cautiously picking his way across the slope to the comparatively safety of the path. He pressed himself to the grass shuddering as the corsairs slid past him to plummet, screaming, onto the murderous rocks below.
'Saedrin save us,' Narich breathed.
Now the topmost edge of the sandstone cliff was crumbling into razor-edged shards. Slings of sapphire magelight whirled around to hurl a lethal rain at the corsairs still struggling with their horses. A screaming man fell head over heels before his falling steed crushed him into bloody silence. Men and animals slipped, stumbled and fell with yells and uncomprehending shrieks of pain. A horse tumbled helplessly, its legs snapping audibly. They all landed hard on the broken rocks, agonized echoes of their final screams lingering for some moments after the last corsair had fallen to his death.
Gefren drew a shaking breath and bowed low to Minelas. 'Master mage--'
'Let's be on our way.' Entirely indifferent to what he had done, the wizard strode along the jetty towards Elkan and the boy with the horses. The warrior was looking as wide-eyed as the child at the mangled bodies at the foot of the slope.
'Trooper!' Gefren shouted harshly. 'Mount up.'
Elkan gathered his wits and proffered a set of reins with a shaking hand as Minelas reached him. The wizard sprang competently into the saddle while the fisher-lad fled, ashen-faced.
Narich's dour face cracked in a slow grin as he walked beside Gefren. 'Those bastard raiders aren't going to know what's hit them.'
* * *
'I have beacons manned all along the coast and fast horses ready to carry word inland.' Lord Halferan was pacing back and forth in front of his canopied chair. Below, the great hall was full of men quietly speculating with suppressed excitement. Halferan's brown eyes grew distant. 'As soon as we see the first ships--'
Minelas was seated at a trestle table set up on the dais. He leaned over a wide silver bowl of water tainted with ink. 'No.'
The mage's single soft word silenced the entire hall.
'What do you mean?' Halferan asked the question for everyone.
'See for yourself, my lord,' Minelas invited.
Halferan squared his shoulders and walked over to look into the scrying bowl.
'This spell--' He hesitated.
'Do you recognise this anchorage?' asked Minelas.
'I do.' Halferan frowned. He raised his head to look at his expectant warriors. 'It's
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