We left the forest trail and the sight of Pitchhollow ahead was bittersweet. On the one hand, it had become like a temporary home to me, and on the other, I knew it was only a matter of time before it fell. The fortress was imposing, of that there was no doubt, as we approached the huge hill of the motte and the keep sat atop it. As impressive as it was, however, it was pitiful compared to some of the great citadels to have already succumbed. My only real hope was the great wall itself.

“It’s good to be back,” I said to Sun. “For as long as it lasts.”

“You have the same feeling of dread that I do?”

“I know this place is going to be hit hard. And soon. It can’t hold, but we need to inflict as much damage on the orcs as we can before it burns.”

“Then we can break them on the great wall,” she added.

“That’s my hope.” I looked at all the faces that watched as we walked past the twin moats. Any glee they might’ve felt before at our presence was lost now that they could hear the proverbial beat of the orcish drums nearing on the horizon. A few waved, some called our names, most didn’t.

“Mark, it may be for the best if you leave this place.”

I frowned across at her. “What do you mean?”

“When Pitchhollow falls, they will spare no one. It will be a slaughter.”

“Even if I could turn around, which I can’t, what would you do?”

“I would fight for the place that gave me shelter, however reluctantly it was offered.”

My heart started to beat faster as I suddenly realised I wasn’t certain if Sun was subject to my protections. We carried on towards the gatehouse and I studied her character tab for any clues. It made no sense to immortalise Fen and not his mistress. The thought of losing my only real friend was almost crippling. I would need to go to the dungeon and try to wrangle an answer out of Bart.

“Sun, it might be best if you took that advice yourself. I can’t be hurt. Not permanently anyway, but I’m not sure if being in my party gives you the same protection.”

“If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’d rather go down in battle than cower behind a wall while you fight.”

And with that, the argument was finished. Finneus waited for us just inside the outer wall. Time hadn’t improved his demeanour toward me.

“If it isn’t the conquering heroes,” he said, with only a hint of sarcasm.

“I’m not in the mood for your shit today, Finneus. We’re going to get our horses stabled and then go see the marshal. If you haven’t got anything worthwhile to say, don’t say anything.”

The men around him looked on awkwardly. They were loyal to him, but we were the only thing that was keeping them alive. For now. With a grunt, he spun around on his horse and I saw his whip arm rise.

“Do it and you’ll wish you hadn’t,” I snarled.

I could see the pent up tension as his arm quivered at his side. Without responding, or to my relief, hitting his horse, he trotted away instead, barking at his men.

I looked to Sun and she drew a finger across her throat.

“For him or me?” I asked.

“You should do it to him before he has the chance,” she said, nudging Duke toward the stables.

I didn’t have the time or inclination to waste effort on Finneus. At worst, I would wake up in the dead of night unable to breathe as blood filled my lungs and I suffocated. Hang on a minute! That was actually pretty damned ghastly, now I thought about it. I watched his back retreat around the bend towards the keep and vowed to, at the very least, maintain a cautious guard whenever I was in his presence. I’d also ensure the bedroom I was sleeping in was tightly locked and wedge a chair under the handle. And probably summon a few concrete blocks to stand against it too. Christ! What was it with egos that made people such arseholes? I was trying to save his miserable life, for goodness sake!

“Young master!” Edric yelled as soon as he laid eyes on us. Waddling over, he was nearly in tears. “Oh, it’s so good to see you safe and well, truly it is!”

We both jumped down and he hugged us briefly before taking the reins.

“I thought you might’ve gone with the others,” I said, sharing in his infectious joy at seeing a friendly face.

“I’m not leaving my home except in a box,” he replied. “And I’ve got some news that will make you both happy and sad, young master.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Oh?”

“You’ll be saying goodbye to young Bolt here,” he said as we neared Lady’s pen.

“What do you mean?” I noticed Bella’s head wasn’t poking over the gate to see me. “Where’s little’un gone?”

“She’s been weaned and sent off with the food caravans, I’m afraid. She’ll make a fine mount with the right training. Your Lady is now ready for the long road, if she hasn’t changed her mind about you that is.”

I felt sorrow that she had lost her filly again, but in truth, it was just nature doing what it always had. Birds had to fly the nest. Cubs had to leave the den. Even humans felt the need to spread their wings and fly. Typically to a one bed flat three streets over, but it was the thought that counts. You can’t move too far from mum’s cooking and the washing machine.

“Hey, girl. Are you ready for some adventures?” I asked, rubbing her neck while offering an apple. She nodded as if answering my question, chomping down on the fruit.

“I think she’s ready, young master.”

Bolt looked back at me before walking into his stall. My face crumbled as I realised I was going to have to say goodbye to him. We had shared some difficult times together, Bolt and I.

Sun caught my dour expression as she wandered back out into the street. “Take them both.”

“I…” My expression changed from miserable to dumbfounded as I realised why not? My pack could take the whole stable if I wished. At least this way I wouldn’t need to leave either of them behind. In fact, that gave me an idea that might take some of the pressure from Edric too. I turned and found the stablemaster walking stall to stall, offering warm, loving words to his horses. “Edric, why has the marshal not sent the rest of the horses with the caravan?”

“As a means to flee I believe, young master,” he replied, sadly. “I doubt there will be much fleeing going on when the orcs arrive.”

“What if I told you there was a way I could keep them all safe when the time comes?”

His sagging demeanour straightened up at my words. “I’m listening.”

“Promise you won’t faint when I show you.”

“The only time I fall over, young master, is when I’ve been too keen to get into my cups.”

I remembered him snoring under my table in the inn and chuckled. “That’s very true. Ok, here we go.”

One moment Lady was there, nudging me with her head, and the next she was gone.

In spite of his promise, Edric reeled away in shock, nearly falling over a wheelbarrow laden with dung. “What in all the heavens?”

I returned Lady to her stall and she carried on as if nothing had happened.

“How? Is this sorcery?”

It was a far easier way to get him to believe than explaining about dimension hopping aliens, so I nodded. “Yeah, sorcery. It means I can scoop them all up and get them to safety. Not one of them will be harmed, you have my word. I can’t do it to people, though.”

“I’ll be more than happy that my nags are safe, young master. These old bones are getting weary and it won’t be too much longer before I couldn’t care for them anyway. At least this way I get to kill some orcs while knowing my family are going to be ok.”

“I’ll ensure they go to the noble houses and spend the rest of their days eating the finest grass while the servants wait on them hand and hoof,” I replied.

Edric choked up with emotion and waved me away, retreating to his little shed at the rear.

“I’ll see you soon! We’ll have drinks!” I called, before joining Sun.

She was staring at me intently as we walked towards the keep.

“What?” I asked, nervously.

“I thought your weakness was a liability,” she replied. “I was wrong.”

“What weakness? Oh, you mean being an all-around great guy who loves animals?”

She growled and gave me the side-eye. “Yes, that. Edric was broken, knowing the fate his beasts faced. With a simple gesture, you’ve allowed him to go to his death with peace. I can see the value in how you do things.”

“As queen, you’ll need to learn these lessons.”

I was already prepared to duck when she swung her arm out to backfist me. It sailed over my head harmlessly and I slipped sideways from further danger. “That’s no way to treat a nice guy!”

“Nice? Perhaps. Infuriating? Certainly,” she muttered.

We walked on and I grew increasing ill at ease. The streets, previously damp with the bodily leavings, had mostly dried out following the evacuation. Even though there were a thousand or more soldiers within, it felt like a ghost town. The winds howled mournfully through windows that hadn’t been secured. Their shutters clapped against the timber walls, a grating sound that did little to help my mood. It already felt like the place had fallen and was now occupied only by the phantoms of the slain.

“I imagine it won’t be so quiet in the days to come,” said Sun.

“It just feels weird, doesn’t it?”

“If by weird you mean unsettling, then yes, it’s weird.”

We began our familiar trudge up the steep ramp to the hilltop fortress. Once again, the crowmasters had been at work, or it might’ve been Finneus, because the marshal was waiting to greet us. There was absolutely no hostility any more, he was genuinely beaming as we approached. I wondered if I was my increasing reputation with the faction or purely an appreciation for what we’d achieved. Ilfred was standing slightly to his rear and he gave me a wink while twirling a hand. I nodded back in greeting.

“My friends, you have returned! What a joyous time this is!”

I took the offered hand and shook it. “Good to see you, Marshal. But we haven’t really done all that much. Greenskin armies are still knocking at your door.”

“Not that much?” Randulf barked. “What a load of tosh. You freed the sorcerers, and turned an entire army to our cause. I also hear strange tales that can’t possibly be real from the wall. It must be an embellishment, yes?”

“I had a spare half hour to help lay some bricks,” I replied. “I’ve done my fair share of labouring.” It was true. When I left school I did the rounds of the local building sites, hod carrying and knocking up cement for the brickies. It was another reason I would never go into business throwing up the piece of shit houses that they churned out. I’d seen them go up, and it wasn’t pretty. They didn’t just cut corners, they hacked them apart like camp counsellors in Friday the 13th.

“Lay some bricks, indeed!” Randulf burst out laughing. “Come inside! I want to share a cup while you explain what’s been happening.”

I’d been waiting days to know and I gently pulled the marshal back while the others headed for the war room. “Did your people manage to…?”

“Your powder? Why yes, they did. After your warning, they only took tiny quantities at a time from the stash beneath the trees. They’ve copied enough to fill one small box. I’m afraid to say that they grew so nervous after one of their collections popped that they haven’t been back to the house. It might have already popped too.”

“How big is the box?” I asked.

Randulf made the rough dimensions with his hands.

“Then no, it hasn’t popped. You can trust me that the whole garrison would’ve heard the thing.”

“Well that’s a relief. What do you plan to do with it?”

I’d been thinking about that the whole time I was away. The fortuitous arrival of certain skills and powers made it impossible to ignore. “I’m going to do something stupid, Marshal.”

“That sounds quite dangerous,” he remarked unhappily as we started to walk after the others.

“Incredibly so. Is Godbert still alive, Marshal?”

“He rots in the dungeon. If I’m totally honest with you, his punishment has been largely ignored with all that’s been going on. Would you like me to arrange it for today?”

“I would not. I’d like your permission to try something. It’ll involve him. In fact, he’ll be key to my plan.”

“If it aids you, I trust your judgement. Do with him as you wish.”

“Thanks, Marshal. Now shall we get that drink? I don’t think you’ll believe my stories, though.”

“I’ve heard things that make my hair curl,” he admitted, leading me on past the guards which nodded at me.

“You haven’t heard anything yet,” I replied.