The Last Dark: The climax of the entire Thomas Covenant Chronicles (Last Chronicles of Thomas Cove)

wall.
    She jerked up her head. Saw nothing.
    An instant later, a boulder the size of a Giant struck somewhere far overhead. It rebounded in a spray of shards. Splinters as keen as knives hissed past the ledge. The remaining mass arced away, hammered the far wall below the holes, burst into rubble. She did not hear the fragments hit water. The fissure was too deep.
    Giants yelled. Linden, Jeremiah, and Covenant were shoved against the wall again. Kindwind and Grueburn crouched over them, shielded them with lore-hardened armor.
    Apparently unconcerned at the edge of the drop, Stave pointed at the line or ledge a long way up the fissure. “There,” he announced. “The stone fell from that height.”
    “Don’t
stand
there!” snapped Covenant. “If it was supposed to hit us, there’s going to be more!”
    Stave glanced at Covenant. “Indeed, Timewarden. From this vantage, I will have forewarning. The wall provides a measure of shelter, yet it also obscures sight.”
    Peering upward, he said, “I discern no—” Then he spun toward the Giants near the blockade. “Beware!”
    Too late, Linden felt the swift hurtle of another boulder.
    This one did not strike the walls. It came straight down, hard as a meteor.
    Sailors thrust Scatterwit aside as the second rock struck within a stride of where she had been. It tore off a chunk half the width of the ledge as it bounced away, squalling with debris.
    More than half the width. Only an arm span remained.
    Linden, Covenant, Jeremiah, and their immediate defenders would have to pass that break in order to follow their companions.
    Covenant’s vertigo—
    “Giants!” roared the Anchormaster. “Shift the barricade! We must pass onward!”
    With Keenreef and Furledsail, Setrock began straining at the pile. Others of Dire’s Vessel rushed to add their strength. Hurl moved to give them more light. Scatterwit lurched after him.
    One long stride took Stoutgirth past the break. Coldspray crossed behind him, then looked back to verify that the rear of the company was safe. Linden, Covenant, and Jeremiah. Branl and Stave. Kindwind and Grueburn.
    A third boulder seemed to detonate against the far wall. A granite fusillade ripped across the ledge.
    Blustergale went down with blood spurting from his shoulder. A shard had pierced an artery. Fragments whined off Bluntfist’s armor, staggered Stonemage. A sailor whose name Linden did not recall was torn apart. For an instant, his whole body spasmed. Blood and fluids sprayed from half a dozen wounds. Trying to regain his balance, he pitched off the ledge.
    A scream that she could not utter choked Linden. Heedless of the danger, Covenant ran toward the break. Jeremiah looked around wildly.
    As if from nowhere, a stone spear appeared in the center of Hurl’s chest. He sprawled backward, crashed against the wall. The impact knocked the
krill
from his hand. It hit the ledge, skittered away—
    Shadows pounced from all directions.
    Faster than Linden’s fear, Branl leaped the break, dove headlong. Sliding in Blustergale’s blood, he snagged the dagger at the lip of the drop.
    Somehow he kept his longsword.
    More spears crossed the crevice, a volley of stone shafts. Setrock and his comrades were driven back from the blockade. Now Linden saw a Cavewight standing in each of the tunnels in the opposite wall. The holes spat spears. Then those Cavewights moved aside. More creatures with spears strode into view, stepped into the force of their throws.
    Rime Coldspray shouted orders louder than Bluff Stoutgirth’s. At the same time, she returned over the breach to intercept Covenant. Ignoring his curses, she hauled him off his feet, swung him onto her back so that she could shield him.
    Grueburn and Kindwind guarded Linden and Jeremiah with their armor. Grueburn’s blade batted a spear aside. Stave knocked another out of the air.
    Bluntfist sprang close to the edge, protected as many sailors as she could. Limping, Stonemage joined her. Bluntfist let one spear splinter against her cataphract while she chopped at another. Stonemage deflected two shafts. The Giants behind her dodged.
    Surging upright half cloaked in blood, Branl raised the
krill
. One-handed, he swung his flamberge. A spear shattered. Pieces fell into the crevice. Bright silver spread over the ledge, along the fissure. Shadows capered, jeering.
    More spears came in continuing waves.
    Years among shrouds and ratlines had made the sailors agile. They twisted and ducked; shoved