The Silent Army by James A. Moore Read Free Book Online Page B

children.”
    Without waiting another moment, the Pilgrim started to melt back into the stone.
    “Wait! We have more questions!”
    The stone face turned to look at him again, and that scowl deepened. “We are here to protect the Empress of Fellein. For that reason I answered your query, but we do not serve you, nor do we serve the Empress. We serve only the gods. This body is not designed for speech. We are called the Silent Army for a reason. No more questions will be answered.”
    With that, the form of the Pilgrim melted once more into the Mid Wall.
    Merros stared at the spot where the stone man had been and made an obscene gesture. When one considered his position in the city it certainly seemed there were a lot of rude people around him.
    The Empress spoke. “Well, I’d wanted to know if you’d had any luck figuring out where we are going. I guess I have my answer.”
    Merros shook his head. “Near as I can guess we are going straight east. If that does not change, the only thing we are going to meet is the mountains. After that the only thing we are going to see for quite some time is the river below and then Lake Gerhaim and Goltha.”
    “How do we get out of this, Merros?” Nachia’s voice was soft and worried.
    “We work on solutions. If that doesn’t work I might suggest that the Sisters teach us how they fly.”
    “The Sisters fly?”
    Merros nodded. “Oh, yes. Apparently it’s contagious. They’ve lifted the entire damned city.”
    Nachia swatted his arm and laughed. “For that humor alone I’d keep you in my court, Merros.”
    He had no response for her.
    Instead of speaking he merely broke protocol and put a companionable arm around her shoulders. She did not protest, but instead leaned into him. It was only for a moment that they acted human, and then only because they could trust the witnesses.

    The columns of the Sa’ba Taalor moved along at a steady clip: the riders with mounts to the front, the rest behind them, trudging over terrain that was sometimes rough and rocky and often pleasantly flat near the edge of the river.
    From a distance they could see the City of Wonders as it moved steadily through the sky.
    Tusk moved along beside Tarag Paedori, who rode his mount contemplating the vast stone cloud on the horizon as if it might be an apple he wanted to take a bite from.
    Their scouts had prepared them. Up ahead was a small town. Beyond that was a great stone structure, the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. All they knew was that both were occupied. The scouts had been warned not to engage the enemy.
    The King in Iron shrugged his shoulders and rattled in his armor. Tusk smiled. He knew he was not the only one who was restless.
    “Durhallem says the city ahead is for me. The tower is for you.” He spoke conversationally, knowing full well that Paedori’s god had spoken to him as well.
    “So it shall be, Tusk.”
    “I think we should send the scouts ahead a day or more, to see if there are opportunities to reach the city in the sky.”
    “You are thinking of the mountains ahead.” Tarag Paedori nodded his head as he spoke. “This is wise. Send Stastha with them if you like. She is a good strategist and can assess better than most, I think.”
    Tusk made a small gesture and Stastha immediately rode forward. “My kings.” She lowered her head for only a moment. The horns on her helmet rose from near her neck and thrust upward like the tusks of a great boar. She looked toward Tusk and studied his face.
    “We will send you ahead, Stastha. Go to the mountains. Seek weaknesses and ways that we might reach that city. They will not escape us for long.”
    Stastha looked toward the horizon. The mountains were several days away at a guess, but the city only moved at one speed and the mounts were capable of covering the distance at a much greater pace.
    She nodded and Tuskandru continued. “Be aware. They must know we are here, and arrows from that height would cut