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Chapter 21

Reynard

The Orcish steppes were easy to cross in the spring . The fresh, verdant grass covering the vast plains kept the horses fed while my men enjoyed mild weather. When the wind blew, the green blades swayed like waves, while we ambled through them like maidens in the garden.

Even the dew dries faster than we move. My fist clenched on the reins. Gniev led us towards the shore at a glacial pace, and I’d started wondering if the war would be over before we arrived.

Sana would love it, Cin purred in my mind.

He was right. Her smile would dazzle the sun if she were here, riding through her homeland and regaling me with tales of her mother, horses prancing in the grass, or the time she sneaked out to run free in the family orchard. But she wasn’t here. Instead, she was risking her life for me and this goddamned kingdom again while I led my men into danger.

You won’t die. I won’t let you, and my Sanika… she is fine. I may not be able to hear her thoughts, but I can feel her magic in my core. She is fine, Reynard.

Cinared was doing everything in his power to help, but my mood remained dark.

I chose to ride on horseback to remain available for messengers and issue orders. Now, looking at the black silhouette of the dragon, I wondered if I’d be able to resist flying to her side if I were on his back.

As if I’d take you there. His amused answer reminded me Cinared was not a horse.

‘We’re approaching the stone bridge.’ Gniev rode closer, even more intimidating on his equally massive mount. ‘Prepare your men.’

I’d heard about the structure. Nobody knew who’d raised it. It was fused into the steppe, spanning a large rift in the ground. Some said it was a bottomless pit; others that it was a scar created when the gods fought over the world. Either way, it was the only way to cross the chasm that cut the Orcish Steppe in half.

I’d expected to see the structure or at least the edge of the chasm from some distance, but there was only the swaying grass as far as the eye could see. I gestured for the sergeant to come closer.

‘Deliver a message to the captains of the units. Everyone follows Gniev’s orders until we’re safe on the other side.’ The man inclined his head, turned away, and galloped along the main body of the army behind us.

‘You’re giving me such power?’ Gniev asked, his thick eyebrows arching.

‘You know the land and the safest passage across the bridge. I can’t even see the damn thing. Isn’t it the obvious choice?’ I replied.

The massive orc smirked, inclining his head. ‘You are wiser than other humans.’ He raised his hand, halting the column of soldiers. ‘Dismount and follow me.’

I didn’t comment on his remark; I just followed his lead. After ten or so steps, my breath hitched, and my heart hammered. A massive crevice yawned across the steppe before me. Its edges were hidden beneath the steppe’s grass, masking the crevice. If we galloped—no, if we even trotted here—the massive warhorses wouldn’t be able to stop in time. I would lose half of my leaders to this natural trap.

‘Fuck,’ I muttered, trying to make sense of the sight before me. Now I knew why people thought it was bottomless. The depths were hidden by a mist that was, itself, difficult to discern. I turned my gaze to the bridge itself.

The stone structure wasn’t a bridge at all, but the trunk of a massive, petrified tree. ‘Is that alive? The roots, the bark, and the branches are too detailed to be handmade, but the size—it’s staggering.’

It was wide enough for two horses to travel side by side, but it was clearly ancient, and I had to entrust my men’s lives to it.

Gniev shrugged.

‘It will hold. That’s what matters,’ he said. ‘But you need to blindfold the horses if you want to get them across.’

He gestured to one of his men, and I watched in disbelief as the young warrior led his mare down and over the chasm.

‘Fine.’ I returned to my horse. Poor bastards didn’t sign up for this. Even as a dragon rider used to heights, this feeble construct gave me the shivers. Then there was the time crossing would take. Moving several thousand men across the bridge would create a bottleneck and a delay I hadn’t anticipated.

I called in the Lord Marshal.

‘Set up camp. It will take more than a day to cross. I’ll go first and coordinate a camp on the other side.’ I ran a hand through my hair, searching for something positive in the situation. ‘At least the men will get some rest.’

He shot me a look. ‘It wasn’t an intensive march.’

‘It will be. Once we’re past the bridge, there’ll be very little rest until we reach Trader’s Cove.’

Ivar nodded, returning to the army while I rode to the treacherous rift. Gniev was waiting for me.