The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

shorter route down to the council room. But she shrugged off such thoughts as Maia came hurrying up, nodding briskly to her.

“Everyone—”

“Vera,” said Ditra. “Did you check on her?”

He nodded. “She is safe. Her guards have not left their post since you sent them there.”

“Good. What else?”

“Everyone is here. All the captains, and the king’s representative.”

“Is she still here?” said Ditra with faint surprise. “I half thought she might try to sneak out with the refugees.”

Maia hid a smile, though it seemed a near thing. “She still has time. Many are still gathering to flee the city.”

Ditra nodded and went to her chair. The councilors gathered around the dais, looking up at her with stern, impassive faces. She saw no sign of eagerness in them, but neither did she see any doubt. They were ready to serve their lord.

“The trolls will not give us much time to rest,” said Ditra. “They are looting the lower city now, but it is only a matter of time before they push towards the stronghold. We must discuss the strategy of our defense.”

Callen, the king’s representative, took a hesitant step forwards. Her tongue crept out to moisten cracked lips. “Can we even hope to defend against them?”

“We have no choice but to do so,” said Ditra.

“Your forces have never faced so many,” said Callen. “Without reinforcements from the king—”

“The king has sent soldiers and oil in support,” said Ditra. “But the trolls attacked earlier than we thought they would, and it seems their strategy is to overwhelm us before any help can arrive.”

“Strategy?” scoffed Callen. “They are trolls! They barely have—”

Ditra stood from her chair. Every ranger in the room bowed their head. Callen fell silent, eyes wide.

“They have pushed into our territory. They have avoided our rangers at every turn. They even misled our scouts into believing they would attack at least a week later than they have. You do yourself no favors by assuming them to be mindless beasts, and you serve your Rangatira not at all.”

“O-of course,” stammered Callen. “Forgive me, Rangatira. But if the king’s forces may not even be coming, mayhap we should flee with the rest, for I do not see how we can defend Kahaunga forever.”

“The king has sent their army. We might be able to hold the walls until it arrives, or we might not. We cannot know for certain. But we do know that we cannot abandon Kahaunga. If the trolls face no opposition here, they will simply chase our people into the pass, where they will find them defenseless, and slaughter them. We who remain here are a rearguard, to ensure that does not happen.”

“You mean we remain here to die!” said Callen. “You have no hope or plan of escape!”

Ditra’s anger bubbled up, threatening to burst. But before it could, Maia stepped from her side to face Callen from a pace away.

“I have no intention of dying in Kahaunga,” said Maia. “But I will happily throw you over the wall to our enemies, if you see nothing but death in your future.”

Callen took a step back. Ditra noticed that the guards at the edge of the room had pressed forwards, as if they were ready to intervene if things should come to a fight. Fools, she thought irritably. Callen would never dare to raise a hand against Maia—and if she did, he would have her on the floor faster than blinking.

“I have no wish to die,” said Callen, making an impressive attempt to rally. “That is why I counsel against this foolish course.”

“You serve me, and through me, the king of Calentin,” said Ditra, letting an edge creep into her voice. “If you think you serve us best by fleeing with the rest of the city’s people, then by all means, do so. Return to the king in Tara and tell them what transpired here. But if you do not wish to die, you might find that a foolish course of action. They have no great love for cowards.”

Callen took several deep breaths, each time seeming as if she was about to say something. Her eyes flew wildly about, as if searching for any words that she thought might spare her. At last she shook her head and gave a hasty bow with her fist raised.

“I … I think I will retire to my chambers. A new missive must be written and sent to the king about our situation, and I should send it along before all the city’s residents have passed us by.”

Ditra nodded in approval. Callen turned and began to push through the rangers on her way to the door, while Maia looked up and gave Ditra a wry look. She knew they were both thinking the same thing: Callen would doubtless decide at the last minute to deliver the message herself. She would be gone before nightfall.

Callen reached the back of the crowd, but suddenly she pulled up short before two of the room’s guards. Ditra frowned as she realized the guards had come even closer than before. Now the twelve of them nearly surrounded Ditra, Maia, and the six ranger captains who served on her council.

“What in the dark below are you doing?” Ditra barked. “Move aside and let her pass.”

The air filled with the hiss of drawn steel as the guards unsheathed their weapons.

Mag and I waited in the entrance hall outside. I paced back and forth in front of the doors, while Mag stood stoically, watching me walk by her each time. The hall was in chaos around us, with guards trying to give orders to their new army of recruits, while the new arrivals roved back and forth in great groups, trying to obey those orders but mostly just colliding with each other. Two guards were posted at the entrance of Ditra’s council chamber, and they eyed us suspiciously as we walked back and forth. Mag gave them a smile.

“Greetings, friends,” she said. “How are you