Contents
Chapter 10
Overview
Jo and Fredrich infiltrate a cliffside cavern to smoke out Strou forces and discover their numbers are far greater than expected. They silently fell the fire guards, and Fredrich’s shield holds back the roused warriors. When Jo unleashes her light, the Bond yanks her into Acker’s perspective before she breaks free and floods the cavern with radiance, turning her blade into a beacon and weapon.
Summary
On a freezing, rain-slick ledge, Jo and Fredrich wait with flint, oil, and weedgrass to ignite smoky fires that will flush Strou from a cliffside cave. Exhausted from the climb and low on reserves, they time their move for the darkest hours, coordinating wordlessly as Fredrich readies dual blades and his ever-present shield.
They round the bend into a vast, wind-sheltered cavern and find rows of sleeping Strou. Realizing the enemy presence is vastly larger than intelligence suggested, Jo chooses to proceed rather than retreat and forfeit the initiative. They creep to the watchfire; in a swift ambush Fredrich cuts down two men while Jo disables and kills others, but the uproar awakens hundreds.
As shouts swell, Fredrich’s shield holds the rush at bay, giving Jo a protected pocket. He urges her to use her gift. Jo removes her mangi stones to summon light, but the dormant Bond flares, seizing her senses and pulling her into Acker’s perspective, where she glimpses his chamber and a sleeping woman before pain snaps her back as Fredrich strikes her to break the trance.
Recovered, Jo channels her magic into her sword, her skin and blade blazing with white light. The illumination reveals the packed cavern and provides both a beacon for escape and a potent weapon, setting the stage for the next phase of their plan against overwhelming numbers.
Who Appears
- JoBorder commander and light wielder; leads the infiltration, kills guards, drops mangi stones, is pulled into Acker’s senses, then illuminates the cavern.
- FredrichShielder accompanying Jo; maintains an unbreakable barrier, executes swift kills, guides Jo to use her magic, and snaps her out of the Bond’s pull.
- AckerBonded to Jo; briefly perceived through the tether as he reads in his chamber, revealing an unwanted mental link that disrupts Jo.
- Strou warriorsHundreds sleeping in the cavern; roused by the ambush but held back by Fredrich’s shield as Jo unleashes light.
- Unknown woman in Acker’s bedSeen asleep during Jo’s Bond-induced vision, underscoring Acker’s private life and Jo’s loss of control.