The Gathandrian Trilogy 02 - Hallsfoots Battle

and rattled the walls around them.
    Johan flung himself on top of her, grabbing the boy as they tumbled to the floor. A spate of terrible noise passed through the air and kept on reverberating. Annyeke’s mind closed in, burying itself deep within her like a wood-fox protecting itself in winter. From somewhere outside her consciousness, she heard Talus scream. From instinct, her fingers pressed the side of Johan’s head. They’d never touched like this before, not in the middle of only the gods knew what kind of danger. Their joining had only been for the purposes of meditation training and with the proper safeguards. This felt different, more desperate and more liberating. More desirable.
    She knew at once that he felt it, too. But he didn’t know how to respond.
    It didn’t matter. At their next breath, Annyeke had reached the reasoning element of Johan’s thoughts, knitted them together, and was building a link they could use to fight against the unknown assailant—a link wide enough to include Talus, too. A moment later her young companion stopped screaming and Annyeke could sense only the sound of the explosion as it continued, over and over until the rhythm seeped into her skin, her blood, her heart. She focused on the colour of the mind-ribbon attaching the three of them, gold, green, ivory. She couldn’t remember any of these colours when she and Johan had meditated together in the past. Why was it different now?
    No time to ponder. The net widened to take on the room and finally the house. Annyeke breathed again, sensed Johan and Talus reaching a plateau. The three of them were no longer gripped by fear, but able to manage it through the ribbon and the net they had created together. Still that elusive something in Johan’s mind though but when, without thinking, she reached for it, she could no longer sense it at all. Gradually she realised the echoes of the explosion, which had been so overwhelming for such a long time, were diminishing; the air beyond the net no longer shook with forces beyond their understanding.
    Johan? she said.
    Yes? he answered at once.
    Whatever that was, it ’s more bearable now. I think we can lower the net. We need to find out what’s happening.
    He nodded and the net around Annyeke lightened and she could see her room, the books, the pile of her clothes. Johan was still lying on top of her. Heart beating fast, she felt herself blush before he struggled to his feet, saw his face redden, too.
    I’m sorry, I… he began.
    Please. It ’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.
    Ignoring his outstretched hand, she got up, brushed down her skirt and turned to Talus.
    “Stay here,” she said, speaking aloud for the first time since the strange explosion had shattered the atmosphere. “Johan and I are going to find out what just attacked us. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
    “But, Annyeke…” the boy began to protest.
    “No arguments, Talus.”
    “The boy might be useful,” Johan said. “Let him come. Please?”
    She hesitated for a moment before giving in.
    “All right,” she said. “As you wish.”
    “Yes.” Talus’ shout of triumph did little to support Johan’s opinion of his usefulness, but the decision was made and Annyeke knew it. She allowed herself a brief smile before swallowing it away.
    “We will go out together, but quietly,” Annyeke said, trying to ensure the calmness in her voice and thoughts filled the room. “And you do what I say. Understood?”
    They both nodded, though she’d meant the command only for Talus. Johan must have picked up on this as he pretended to be examining something on his hand while Talus beamed his thanks up at him.
    At the door, Johan reached to open it and step out first, but Annyeke laid her fingers on his arm.
    It was not his place to be in front here. She was the leader. He would not only have to acknowledge that, but act on the acknowledgement also. After the briefest of hesitations, he took a pace back, waved her before him.
    Annyeke took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and opened the door.
    It wasn’t what she’d been expecting at all. Outside, the air was dripping with crimson, and flames skittered past them, a mixture of reality and thought. She ducked down, pulling Talus with her and flinging a warning to Johan.
    He caught it at once, grabbing her hand to strengthen the mind-net still shielding them.
    “What is it? What’s happening?” Talus’ questions remained unanswered as she glanced from