They withdrew. Fresh units filled in behind the mantlets. A temporary peace settled in. The field belonged to their pioneers.

Six days, I said to no one in particular. I dont think we can hang on.

The first line shouldnt survive tomorrow. The horde would storm the second level. Our archers were deadly as archers, but I doubted they would do well hand-to-hand. Moreover, once forced into close combat they could no longer punish the enemy coming up. Then the Rebel towers would do them as they had been done.

We had cut a narrow trench near the rear of the pyramid top. It served as our latrine. The Captain caught me at my most inelegant. They need you down on the bottom level, Croaker. Take One-Eye and your crew.

What?

Youre a physician, arent you?

Oh, Silly of me. Should have known I could not remain an observer.

The rest of the Company went down too, to perform other tasks.

Getting down was no trouble, though traffic was heavy on the temporary ramps. Men from the upper level and pyramid top hauled munitions down to the bowmen (the Lady must have squirreled arrows for a generation), brought corpses and casualties up.

Be a good time to jump us, I told One-Eye. Just scamper up the ramps.

Theyre too busy doing the same things we are. We passed within ten feet of Soulcatcher. I lifted a hand in tentative greeting. He did the same after a pause. I got the feeling he was startled.

Down we went, and down again, into Stormbringers territory.

It was hell down there. Every battlefield is, after, but never had I seen anything like this. Men were down everywhere. Many were Rebels our men hadnt the energy to finish. Even the troops from up top just booted them aside so they could collect our people. Forty feet away, ignored, Rebel soldiers were gathering their own people and ignoring ours. Its like something out of the old Annals, I told One-Eye. Maybe the battle at Torn.

Torn wasnt this bloody.

Uhm. He was there. He went back a long way.

I found an officer and asked where we should set up shop. He suggested wed be the most use to Bonegnasher.

Going, we passed uncomfortably near Stormbringer. One-Eyes amulet burned my wrist.

Friend of yours? One-Eye asked sarcastically.

What?

Such a look you got from the old spook.

I shuddered. Lime thread. Taken on the wind. That could have been Stormbringer.

Bonegnasher was a big one, bigger than Shifter, eight feet tall and six hundred pounds of iron mean muscle. He was so strong it was grotesque. He had a mouth like a crocodile, and supposedly had eaten his enemies in the old days. A few of the old stories also call him Bonecrusher, because of his strength.

While I stared, one of his lieutenants told us to go out to the far right flank, where fighting had been so light no medical team had yet been assigned.