Bloodmender (Tales of the Five Provinces Book 3) by T. Eric Bakutis

Author:T. Eric Bakutis [Bakutis, T. Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-03-14T18:30:00+00:00

WHEN THEY REACHED the sheer wall of earth blockading Highridge Pass, raised by what must be a dozen Earther battlemages, Tania was impressed. This was quality work. Mynt, as she knew, employed the very best.

The wall had no door or gate. Such an obvious weakness would defeat the point. Instead, Mynt soldiers dropped four rope ladders from its flattened top.

The sheer rock wall used the natural advantage of sloping terrain to increase its height. Tania's dream world sight allowed her to see layers upon layers of rocky lattice inside it. It wouldn't be shattered easily.

Nearby, men labored on a pulley-driven lift big enough to bring horses up or send them down again. Yet while Storm and Branch might get a ride, Sergeant Amin pointed the rest of them to four rope ladders.

Multiple ladders made sense. It allowed soldiers to climb at their own pace, avoided putting too much weight on any ladder at one time, and ensured anyone who fell wouldn't fall into those behind them. A good system.

“This is a big wall,” Tania said. “Has it been here long?”

Sergeant Amin pulled off his helmet to reveal black curls and chevrons burned into his forehead. Mynt soldiers took their promotions seriously. He handed his helmet to one of the soldiers by the wall.

“Are the other passes closed as well?” Tania asked. She assumed the answer — yes, with many more stranded refugees camped inside them — but she was curious as to what else Sergeant Amin might reveal.

“Captain Kel will answer your questions,” Amin said.

“I'm directing this one to you, sergeant.”

Amin shrugged. “Direct all the questions you like.”

“You'll see to our horses?” Ona asked, because they could not abandon Storm and Branch.

Amin gripped a rope ladder and started up. “My soldiers will see that they are lifted onto the wall, rubbed down, and fed. You have my word.”

“Good enough.” Byn hurried past Tania and climbed another ladder.

Tania exchanged a look with Ona, who shrugged and took the third ladder. Tania took the fourth, tested its lowest rung with her boot, and climbed. Amin's hesitance to answer her questions was troubling, but perhaps he was simply the disagreeable sort.

Amin reached the top first, as expected, and another soldier helped him onto the wall. Byn finished next, clambering over without assistance. Ona accepted help as gracefully as she did everything else.

When Tania was near the top, Amin reached down and took firm grips on Tania's wrists. She allowed that. Once she was atop the wall, Tania could see the gentle ramp descending into the rest of Highridge Pass.

Only the southern approach required a tenuous rope climb. Horses, ballistae, and soldiers could easily crest the wall using the ramp, and Tania approved. She could not fault the Mynt for their military fortifications, even if she could fault them for their refugee problem.

They followed Sergeant Amin down the slope to tidy rows of tents stretching up the pass for as far as Tania could see. Most flaps were closed, which meant the soldiers occupying them were either on patrol beyond the wall or sleeping off last night's shift.

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