Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

Chapter 21: Preparations Undone

"No leader of soldiery has stood on a castle wall

and looked out over an amassed enemy to declare:

Let them come for we are ready.

If they had, I would immediately name them 'fool' or 'liar'.

While they may be prepared to do violence, to defend and fight

and perhaps even yield up their very lives.

No man is ready to die."

- from Tusk's 'Musings of a Madman'

With a critical eye, Patrik examined the northeastern quadrant of the secondary wall. But, try as he might, he couldn't see the flaw his sister, arms folded patiently beneath her breasts beside him, had pointed out. Unfortunately, none of his visions of the past, or his communion with the first Wielder of the Earth contained the finer points of wall building and how to repair them.

"Okay, I give up," he admitted after a long, futile moment of searching, eliciting light laughter from the loose gaggle of desert folk that had followed Jaeda to where she was keeping the young Wielder company. Patrik ignored the laughter, not the first from this group, even as Jaeda lightly touched his arm in silent support and reassurance, and turned to look at Shiana, looking considerably better now that she had cleaned up shortly after the war council. In addition to a shirt, pants, and boots much like his, her rune sword slung hunter-style over her shoulder, she also now wore a slight smile.

"Where is it?"

The Ironstorm princess's hand immediately rose to point to a spot just beneath the wall's crown.

"Right there. Insignificant now, but if struck just right by artillery fire, it could rupture, putting a crack in the secondary defenses." Thanks in no small part to Shawn's memories gained via the blood bond, Shiana was almost as proficient in discovering a fortification's weaknesses as her twin brother. They all had them, even magical fortresses as formidable as Gorgon's Dagger. Ironically, even though the Dagger had been brought back to life by the power of the Earth Sword, it still contained the flaws its original designers, the Firsts of the Five Races, had unknowingly built into it.

"So we need to correct this flaw?" Patrik asked, gathering power through the Earth Sword, which hovered close to his shirt-covered back. Runes immediately came to life and began to dance along the blade's black metal length in response to his will rushing into it.

Instead of immediately answering, Shiana paused as she felt a familiar presence draw near. Now as comfortable in her light cotton shirt, finely tanned leather breeches and sturdy knee boots of Galentaler leather as a man would be, she shifted slightly in place to turn towards the presence's location. And she smiled when Shawn appeared from around a distant corner to walk towards them, a thoughtful expression on his chiseled features.

"Perhaps we'll just ask the expert on the matter," she replied after that pause, her answer causing Patrik to pause and turn in time to see his older brother approach.

"My sister," the powerful Wielder of the Star Sword murmured, a tired smile on his face as he leaned in to give Shiana a kiss on the cheek. Shiana slipped her hands around her twin to give him a quick squeeze in return before he leaned away to give Patrik a hardy slap in greeting on the shoulder.

"Little brother," Shawn said then looked up at the wall. "Fixing flaws, are we?"

"Aye," the Wielder of the Earth Sword replied, glancing over at Shiana, who shrugged, an amused smile dancing over her lips before adding her gaze to her brother's on the wall. "A relatively minor item on the council's preparation agenda, but one easily addressed." Patrik turned his own attention to the wall and continued to talk.