ToP Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three: Red Peacock

Meliu rides with the Silone caravan toward the Blooded Plain, haunted by Ivin’s capture and the slow, grueling pace—five horizons daily, with stragglers vanishing, likely killed or converted by Hidreng. Guilt weighs on her for riding while others walk, and her role in the Inster battle, where she wielded Dark to terrify Hidreng, earns her fear and respect, even from Polus, who credits Sedut’s presence for deterring attacks. Spotting Hidreng ships offering passage, Meliu learns from the Squirrel of an approaching army—four to five thousand armored horse. Joining clan leaders on a hill, they prepare for a hopeless stand, outnumbered against a disciplined force. Iro Adinfin, now one-armed, demands surrender, revealing Ivin’s captivity under Bishop Ulmeen, threatening death if resisted. As tensions peak, with crossbows aimed and Meliu poised to unleash Dark, a mysterious arrow with blue-green fletchings kills a Hidreng priest, halting Iro’s signal to attack. Recognizing the arrow’s significance, Iro retreats without further violence, leaving Meliu stunned by the intervention—possibly from distant riders, hinting at Edan or Luxun involvement. The encounter spares the Silone, but Meliu’s relief is tempered by Ivin’s ongoing peril and the looming Hidreng threat, as she grapples with her growing power and its moral cost.

• ToP Chapter 22 — New Fost
• ToP Chapter 24 — A Simple Execution
• Trail of Pyres - Main Chapter Listing