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the Kadrins’ shield wall. Two knights rushed in
to fill the breach, a burning scent heavy in the air around them. They stood
over the bodies of the fallen soldiers and continue serving their duty on the
line.
    Both sides now had to contend with the effects of the
fog.. There was still enough visibility at head height that the humans could
clearly make out where their allies were. The goblins, mired in thicker fog
whose nature they had somewhat underestimated, were having difficulty finding
their footing. Brannis sported a rather wicked, self-satisfied grin when he
heard the startled yelps of the goblins that stumbled into one of the vast
number of latrines his men had been digging the last several days. He had
figured that a waist-deep hole to a man was plenty to take a goblin out of the
fighting.
    The goblins, however, were nothing if not adaptable.
One of their sorcerers quickly cast a spell that created a gale of wind that dispersed
the remaining fog in the span of but two breaths. Another created a dimness in
the air not entirely dissimilar to the fog, but which acted to dim the light
from the morning sun over the battlefield, creating an artificial night.
    Iridan acted quickly to counter the latter effect, and
nullified the advantage that goblin eyes held in the dark.
    “Aleph kalai abdu.”
    He quickly spoke the few necessary words, and made a
quick circling gesture with his right hand, with the tip of his middle finger
touching his thumb. It was the simplest of all spells and the first one taught
to every student at the Academy. It was a spell simple enough that Brannis
nearly had the strength to cast it. Instantly the false night was replaced by
an equally false noontime, as a bright ball of light appeared overhead near
Iridan’s outstretched hand, the harsh white light cutting through the dimming
spell the goblins had fashioned.
    The spell had worked well, and taken back the
advantage that the goblin spell had bought for the few moments prior. But it
had also marked Iridan clearly in the eyes of the goblins. The way the spell
was worded, it was difficult to make it appear more than a pace or so from the
hand from which it originated. In fact, it took some skill and practice even to
keep the light from emanating from one’s own fingertip. Iridan might as well
have painted a sign reading "Sorcerer" and hung it around his neck.
    *
* * * * * * *
    Brannis had been calling out orders, orchestrating the
Kadrins’ defenses, when he heard a high whistle sound above the noise of
battle. It came in two quick bursts, a longer whistle, then two more short:
goblin signals, he realized. He had not yet become engaged in the combat; his
own sword was far too dangerous to have it drawn and swinging about in close
quarters with his own men. They were holding up well. They had resisted the
urge to break ranks and attempt to press the goblins back into the forest,
which was now starting to burn. Iridan’s shielding spell had somehow managed to
turn a ball of fire from one of the goblins back at their own ranks. Brannis
watched to see what came of their enemy's whistle.
    From behind the lines, Brannis was the first to notice
the goblins’ reinforcements charge in from the south and west. They were not as
numerous as the main force attacking from the east, but they presented a
tactical problem: no defenders were prepared to hold those sides against
attack. The shield wall had held so far, and the knights had done well to
prevent the goblins from coming around the flanks, but this they were not going
to be able to stop in time.
    “Pull back and bring the shield wall around to face
the south as well!” Brannis shouted.
    *
* * * * * * *
    As the knights helped direct the troop movements to
carry out their commander’s orders, Iridan watched Brannis draw his sword and
prepare to defend the interior of the camp. Iridan himself was behind the lines
and knew they were unlikely to survive this battle without his magic, so long
as the