Novel 7.9

Nasch watched the High Guard storm the Kliet house from an orchard to the east of the city. Maraesh had taken the rest of the Kliet to rejoin the army in Meiness, but he'd asked Nasch to wait behind. They knew what Ket was about, and the least they could do was keep a watch over him. The storm hit with fantastic fury, actually ripping some of the yearling trees up from the roots. Nerith had his ear to the ground again, but the thunder of so many feet combined with a myrid pounding droplets made him quite deaf. The excursion required to pick out feet from flood was evident in his voice. “I think they've panicked, I can hear lots of running.”

That was enough for Nasch. He did not know much about Druid's magic, but had great respect for Ket. By his estimation, if the storm was still blowing and getting worse, Ket must be alive to control it. And that meant he had the chance for a rescue. Nasch was a strong swimmer, and though this was the worst flood Fuspmar had seen in his memory, it was far from the only one. Krina was with him, along with about a dozen new Kliet, but Tolcten commanded a group of his own.* Nasch handed his bow to Krina, took off his boots, and told her to keep track of the new soldiers.

The rain fell so hard, it might have been hail. It felt like the winter's ice, denied from the land, was deciding to return with vengeance. Nasch kept his sword with him, strapped to his back the same way as Tolcten had done for his run, but didn't need it. By the time he reached Fuspmar, fighting to maintain direction in the current, the city held on soldiers. It did have a great number of people, mostly men, desperately trying to leave, but these paid no attention to one fellow swimming the wrong way. Some decided he might have a good idea, and let the current sweep them downstream.


Nerith shouted a message to Ket, telling him Nasch was coming, he just had to hold on. This left him exhausted, as though the that little magic was a hard day's work. He leaned against a tree while the rain pounded on him, oblivious to the world. Krina ached to go with Nasch. Not that she thought he had a chance of actually saving Ket, she expected he was insane, but it felt wrong to be on the sidelines. While they waited for Nasch to return, a handful of Eth's soldiers came upon them.

The storm was far too fierce for a bow, between wind and rain the arrow could not possibly fly true. But Eth's men were panicked and not expecting a fight, while Krina and her group had been waiting for something like this. Soon the rain was washing blood toward the ever-widening river.

After a full hour's wait, the storm had only grown worse. Nerith could move again, and Krina was more than impatient with Nasch. She shouldn't see Fuspmar, but their little grove was in great danger of being blown away. She ordered the soldiers to withdraw. That had been Nasch's last order, that she should take care of them. And that meant getting back to Meiness. They could circle downstream, pick off loose enemies, and look for friendly survivors, but they'd have to wait for the gale to calm down.


By the next day the waters were already receding. Eth's army had receded with them. It was scattered, mostly to the north and east. The main body of Bharrak's army should be engaging elements of them, while they were disorganized. Krina and her group, Nasch's group, if she could find him, were wading through Fuspmar. They had followed a trail of broken wood that had once been the homes of families she knew. Scattered among the mess were signs that a number of people had survived the flood, and a number hadn't. Krina lost count of the bodies she found, but they found very few of Eth's soldiers alive to add to their number.

When she reached the Polis, the only structure that indicated Fupmar had once been a city, she fully expected to find it lifeless. The ambush room, at the back wall of the main hall, had been broken open. Although it was empty, Krina could almost see the faces she knew among the Fusp who must have died in there. On the second floor, in the small room above the ambush room, she found the men she sought. Ket was bound in place, laying on his back and unconscious. Nasch stood over him. Although it looked like that took about all his strength, he had his sword out.

“You could have shouted something when you came inside!”
“Is that how you thank the group leader who rescued you?”
Nasch embraced her, then fell to the floor, but he wasn't about to let her jest go unanswered. “Assistant group leader.”
“Come, now, you don't want command back after this! Look, you've re-captured the Polis! I'm sure Maresh will promote you now.”
Laughing reminded Nasch he had bruised or broken some ribs in the swim. “fine, they're your's if I'm promoted. Now, go post a guard or something.”

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