Brandt remembered chasing after a Falari unit that had ambushed a farm close to the border.
He had thought himself the hunter that day, not realizing until too late that his unit was acting exactly as the Falari expected. The Falari sent a small raid, then attacked in force when imperial soldiers pursued the raid back over the border. The Falari ambushed his unit and Brandt nearly died alongside his warriors.
He’d returned to the border several times since. Once he became a wolfblade, several of his missions took place deep in Falari territory. Most of those assignments ended successfully.
But the fear from that first experience still remained, a slight twisting of his insides whenever he thought of Falar.
In his mind, the mountains ahead of them were more intimidating than majestic. Brandt’s heart beat a little faster as he looked at them. Others no doubt felt the same. The friendly conversations that had broken the silence on the journey thus far faded away the closer they came to the border.
Their first stop was an outpost hugging the border. The structure was small, built from stone from the nearby mountains. It housed nearly a hundred soldiers, though. Brandt had never visited this particular location, though he’d slept in similar outposts in other parts of the border.
They passed through checkpoints quickly and left their horses in care of the soldiers stationed at the post. The prince, Brandt, and Ana met with the commander in his quarters.
The commander was a type Brandt was well familiar with, one of dozens Brandt had crossed paths with over the years. Clean and orderly, Brandt suspected the officer bathed twice a day. He ran his outpost well and was determined to prove it to the prince.
Brandt smiled to himself. When he’d been a wolfblade he’d received no such welcome. Wolfblades were a part of the army and yet separate. Other soldiers and officers were polite enough, but a wolfblade didn’t often make friends on their assignments.
Their briefing with the officer was short and to the point. The Falari had increased their activity over the past few months, but that same increase had been seen across the border. The officer insisted he’d been zealous in his duties, punishing any incursion.
Brandt saw Ana’s fist clench at the pride in the officer’s voice.
He understood her gesture.
Most imperial units now understood that pursuing the Falari into the mountains was a fool’s errand. Smart commanders kept to the border and developed cavalry units that could respond immediately to incursions. Foolish commanders who believed themselves tactical geniuses threw their troops into Falar, often to disastrous results. This commander was one of the latter. Brandt suspected that if he asked the troops for their thoughts he’d receive a very different report.
If Regar understood any of this, he said nothing. He accepted the commander’s information without question. Then he announced his intent to leave the next morning.
The commander offered more troops, but the prince declined.
That decision Brandt approved of. The number of troops brought across the border wouldn’t matter. In his own experience, it was easier to travel in Falar with smaller numbers. As it was, Regar’s guard was large enough that stealth wasn’t an option.
The next morning, they mounted up and pushed forward. Brandt silently wished the soldiers well. They deserved a better commander, but there was nothing he could do for them at the moment.
The tension in Brandt’s shoulders grew as they passed the border and began climbing the foothills.
Though they seemed alone, Brandt suspected there were already Falari eyes upon them. The Falari guarded their border every bit as zealously as the empire guarded its own. They made no overt attempt at stealth, by Regar’s command. Brandt only hoped the prince knew the risk of his actions.
A day later they climbed through a mountain pass, following a well-established trail. Every sense Brandt possessed searched the world for evidence of ambush.
He didn’t notice anything specific, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He trusted the instinct and ordered a halt.
Dozens of heartbeats passed. Brandt searched the mountain, both up and down the slope, for signs of hidden warriors. He sniffed the air as the cool mountain wind blew through his short hair.
There.
A hint of movement, far up the mountain. Brandt looked, watching a single arrow arc into the sky. At first glance, the angle and distance seemed impossible, but the Falari trained such shots. As the arrow plummeted straight at him Brandt lost sight of it.
He called on the air. Though it was the weakest of his elemental affinities, he was strong enough to deflect a single shaft. He forced the wind to blow faster over his head, a small gale that threw the arrow off course. To ensure his safety, he backed his horse up two steps.
The arrow clattered to the path in front of him.
Regar took command. “On me!”
Brandt almost countermanded the order. Bunching up on the trail provided easy pickings for the Falari. Then he turned around and saw Regar’s confidence. Against his better judgment, he followed Regar’s orders.
Brandt kicked his horse forward, joining the rest of the entourage.
Up the mountain, Brandt caught sight of more movement. Dozens of arrows launched into the air.
Brandt cursed and almost ordered them to break apart, but Regar sat tall on his horse. “Stay calm,” he said.
Then he closed his eyes and the wind picked up around them.
On his own, Brandt had managed to create a small gust, just strong enough to deflect the arrow a few paces.
Regar’s technique was something else entirely. Brandt heard the high notes of the wind, his own affinity informing him that the air surrounding them had become a maelstrom. The air picked up stone and dust, obscuring his vision.
The incoming arrows got caught, joining the stones as they spun around the group. With a breath, Regar released his technique, sending stone and shaft harmlessly to the ground.
Brandt looked up, curious how
