Of the little that the Chosen were taught about the world that existed beyond the walls of the temple precinct, the layout of the island was the part I had found the most interesting. As geography goes, it had been vague and dismissive and taught along the lines of 'you don't really need to know this but here are the basics' but it still captivated me. Wanderlust is a terrible thing to be afflicted with when you are raised in captivity; knowing the places I would never see at least allowed my mind to visit them. Those basics were that the north of the island was mountainous and inhospitable - nothing of worth came from there. I now knew this to be Norren Land; something the Caretakers had neglected to mention. The south was lush, verdant and plentiful. It was the country that the gods had designed just for us and everything of beauty, purpose and truth came from the south. That, of course, was Sudder Land. No one ever asked why the gods had designed the island that way, though I can't have been the only person wondering. Between these two extremes, the gods had placed a marker to let unwary travelers know that they were crossing an invisible border. The volcano was that marker.

The volcano was not part of the mountain range that dominated the north, nor was it part of any other range. It stood independent, the highest point for miles, like someone had placed a smoking strawberry in the middle of a flat, featureless plate. No one ever questioned why the volcano should be like this, knowing that it was simply the will of the gods.

You could see where the volcano was from pretty much anywhere on the island, even if you could not see the volcano itself, courtesy of the plume of smoke that constantly drifted from its open mouth up into the sky. Some days, the plume was white, matching the clouds, which it reached up to touch. On other days, it was black - the Priests said the volcano was angry, and the Caretakers looked around the Chosen for someone to blame. More than once, I had worried that I had made the volcano angry by excessive touching of my Devil's Doorbell. On very rare occasions, that base of the plume would turn red, catching the light from the fires that raged below it. On those days, all of the Chosen were ushered into the temple to spend long hours in prayer. I hated those days.

I didn't know how the Norren regarded the volcano, and now didn't seem the time to ask since we were about to deny it its meal. Initially, I had wondered; if it was the sacrifice that won Sudder the volcano's favor, why did the Norren not do the same? Part of the reason was that, while the volcano marked the rough midpoint of the island and the point at which the landscape began to change, Sudder territory stretched beyond it. The volcano was solidly in Sudder Land and was well protected by the Sudder army as a Holy site, at all times of the year. The only time when the army stepped back was during the sacrifice itself, something that was not meant to be observed by ordinary men, and defense was handed over to the Holy Army instead.

The other reason that the Norren did not attempt to emulate the Sudder sacrifice and win the volcano's favor was simpler. They were not Sudder, they did not throw their people into molten lava. Privately, I thought that if they ever changed their mind and decided to make virgin sacrifices, they would run up against a whole different problem - finding twenty-five suitable virgins in Norren sounded like an impossible task, certainly as long as Adrien was about. But I didn't think that issue would ever come up. The Norren were proud of who they were and of their doctrine of freedom. They were happy to die in battle, to sacrifice themselves for friends, family and country, but they would not hurl their citizens to their deaths to appease a volcano. They were Norren.

As we rode back down the mountain, I wondered what the days ahead might bring. I had never been in a battle before, and however fascinating I had found the pictures of it on the temple wall and in the book I had found, I was not sure I was going to find the reality anywhere near as stimulating. I thought also about Sadie, wondering what she was doing now. If Jax was right then she had already left the temple precinct for the first time in her life. I wondered what she had thought of the world outside and wished that I could have been there with her, so we could experience it together. Had she wished that I was there? Had she thought of me much since that night when I had been kidnapped? It seemed so long ago, because of all that had happened to me, but it had only been a matter of days. She couldn't have forgotten me already. Had she been told that I had been kidnapped? That seemed unlikely - the Caretakers would not worry the Chosen with the knowledge that they were targets for enemies that they had never even heard of. No, Sadie would have been told that I had run away like the wicked girl I was, and she would have believed it because I had told her that I was planning to escape. She had no way of knowing that I had planned to take her with me - by force, admittedly - that I had cared enough to try and save her, as well. This time I would succeed. At the very least, she would know that I had not abandoned her, she would know that I cared. Maybe we would both die with that knowledge, but at least we would do so together.

When would she realize that something was wrong? Probably pretty quickly. I had told her about the sacrifice the day before I left and, while I didn't think that she had believed me, she was bound to be suspicious when she and the rest of the Chosen were ushered out in a ceremonial procession, heading in the direction of the volcano. Would she try to escape? Would she try to warn the others? Neither of those sounded much like things that Sadie would do. I loved my friend dearly, but she did as she was told, regardless of what it cost her. I wondered if, when she realized that I had been telling the truth, she would hate me even more for leaving. What would be her thoughts as, under the vigilant eye of the Caretakers and the Holy Guards, she walked into the shadow of the volcano? What would she think as she stood on the rim of the crater, looking down into the fiery abyss below her? She would be afraid, of course. I didn't want her to be afraid, I wanted her to know that I would be there to save her.

As these thoughts passed through my head, the men chatted amongst themselves; laughing, joking and playing games. Nobody watching them would have suspected that they were marching towards what might yet prove their death. It was just another day.

"Why does everyone think the volcano wants virgins?" asked Adrien, introducing a new and interesting subject of conversation. "Gods, too. They always want virgins."

"You don't like virgins?" asked Killian, raising an eyebrow. "Because if you don't then there're a lot of rumors around town that need putting right."

"In fairness," said Gage, "he's doing everything he can to reduce the number of virgins in Holm's Rest. I don't think anyone has done more than Adrien to rid Norren of the scourge of virginity."

"Very funny. I've nothing against virgins," said Adrien, shooting me a glance that I'm sure he hoped I didn't notice. "Always a pleasure to help them out. But it's the lack of variety I don't understand. Perhaps if the volcano tried a woman of experience every once in a while, then it wouldn't be in such a filthy temper all the time."

"You think the volcano gets in a bad mood because it hasn't been fed a woman who’s been around a bit."

"Those women know things," said Adrien, earnestly. "Things you can only learn with experience."

"Maybe we can beat the Sudder at their own game," suggested Jax. "Feed the volcano a few of Adrien's more experienced friends."

"Just for a bit of variety," agreed Adrien. "So it knows what it's been missing. I mean, I love fish, but I wouldn't want to eat it every day."

"That would explain why the volcano is always angry."

"The gods, too," Adrien agreed. "Why are gods always lashing out at mankind? It's the virgins."

"I think you're on to something here," Killian nodded. "And one thing Norren has got that Sudder hasn't, is experienced women."

I wondered if I would live long enough to become one of Adrien's experienced women. It sounded like something worth staying alive for. I was sure there was still a lot I could learn from these men. All four of them. I had not slept with Gage, though we had enjoyed the odd charged moment. Was it greedy that I now found myself desiring him. Having experienced the wonderful variety offered by the other three, I could not help wondering what Gage might be like. My eyes moved over the muscular contours of his body and a warmth of desire spread up from my core. I was a wicked girl. But in Norren, it wasn't wickedness, you were allowed to want things and have things and not feel guilty about it. I liked Norren very much.

We rode on, with the volcano silhouetted against the clear blue sky in front of us. The smoke at its summit was white today, indicating the volcano was in a good humor. Perhaps it knew that it was going to get fed.

We ate in the saddle, not wasting any time, and by mid-afternoon we were getting close to the volcano. About a half hour ago, Jax had said 'clam up' and that was all the instruction any of us needed. We rode on in silence, keen not to alert any Sudder who might be in the area to our presence. They would be approaching from the opposite side to us and the small size of our group meant that, hopefully, the volcano would shield us from discovery.

I stared up at the menacing volcano. It had seemed to grow larger the nearer to it that we got, its slopes becoming steeper, blacker, more threatening. Now, it seemed to loom over me as if it were looking down on me personally and not liking what it saw. I never thought of myself as a fanciful person, and certainly not the type to personify a volcano, but at this close remove, it was hard not to feel that it recognized me as a fallen member of the Chosen. I had been raised expressly to feed it and here I was, on time, but now damaged goods. Adrien had taken my virginity and then Killian and Jax had made sure not a trace remained. Could the volcano tell?

Jax raised a hand and we all came to a stop. "We'll make base here. The others should be able to find us. Gage, scout the area. Find the Sudder."

Gage nodded as he dismounted. I watched him go, wondering at how easily he took on so dangerous a task. If he was spotted then death was the best he could expect. More likely, the Holy Army would torture him to try to make him give away our location. But to Gage, this was just an occupational hazard. They were all remarkable men in so many ways.

We busied ourselves unpacking the horses, making ready for the task ahead. If Jax, Killian or Adrien were worried about Gage then nothing about their demeanor indicated it - I suppose it was impossible to be a soldier if you were constantly worried about your comrades, you had to trust that they knew what they were doing. I, on the other hand, shot regular glances in the direction Gage had gone, every thirty seconds or so. I was still bothered by the niggling guilt that they were on this crazy mission because of me.

It was about half an hour - the longest half hour in my life - before Gage returned, jogging through the trees but somehow not making a sound.

"They're here. Camped on the south side. Looks like they're doing some kind of dumb rituals to prepare for the sacrifice."

Jax nodded. "The sacrifice will be at sundown."

"Did you see Sadie?" I asked.

It was a dumb question - Gage didn't even know what she looked like - but he treated it more seriously than it deserved, recognizing my anxiety and humoring it. "I saw the Chosen. All kind of milling around. Didn't look too scared but they've got a bunch of guards watching them."

"Are they chained up?" I asked.

Gage shook his head. "Didn't look to be much need."

What was it Aelric had said about manacles under the skin? People in Sudder just did as they were told, especially those who had spent a lifetime being conditioned to it. You didn't need chains when people were bred into unquestioning obedience, all the fight long since beaten out of them.

"What about guards around the volcano?" asked Jax.

"The regular army has already been pulled back," Gage went on. "Holy Army's taking their places."

"Numbers?"

"I counted seventy, but they're keeping some back to protect the girls and the Caretakers and Priests."

"How many of them?"

"Twenty or so Caretakers. Ten Priests."

"Armed?"

"The Caretakers all have spears. They're ceremonial but not that ceremonial, if you know what I mean. The Priests have got knives, but I don't think they're meant for us." If the girls were recalcitrant about being thrown alive into the volcano, then going in with a slit throat was a perfectly valid option.

Jax nodded. "Those numbers spread the Holy Army pretty thin. What do you say, Killian?"

Killian nodded. "Worked once. And combined with Aleah's plan, I'd say that at least puts us in the fight."

Jax agreed. "They'll outnumber us, but we knew that already. If we can just get in amongst them rather than battering at the outside, then I'd say we'll have a shot at stopping this thing before it starts." He shot me a small smile. "And saving Sadie."

I wished that I could be more like them and care about a cause larger than myself, but all that mattered to me was Sadie.

"Alright," said Jax, rubbing his hands in a down to business manner. "Let's get Killian in place before Aleah goes in. Otherwise, if Killian is spotted then Aleah's going to look suspicious, and they won't stop at... They won't trust her."

"They'll kill me." I said what he hadn't been willing to.

Jax looked at me. "Yes."

I nodded. "It's fine. Everyone here today is facing death. I may as well be, too."

Killian and Adrien set off through the undergrowth to execute the first part of Jax's plan. It hadn't been elaborated but based on their conversation, I could guess what it was; as he had at the temple precinct, Jax would replace one of the guards circling the volcano. The size of the volcano and the thickness of the undergrowth surrounding it on its northern side meant that the guards were far enough apart that one could be ambushed and hastily replaced without any of the others noticing.

Adrien returned shortly, alone and carrying Killian's tunic. "All good."

Now, when the time came, the Norren party would be able to stream up the volcano slope unencumbered by the Holy Army.

Jax looked at me and I could see the uncertainty in his face.

"Right, my turn." I tried to be upbeat but, however much this was what I had wanted, my own anxiety still showed through.

"You're sure you want to do this?" asked Jax.

I nodded. "I want to help."

"Okay, then." He was still worried. Which was actually kind of nice. Jax knew what it was to lose a person that you cared about, and to find myself in that category was quite special. If this went wrong - as it easily could - then I would still consider myself lucky to have met these men, and to have had these few days with them. Those days had been the best of my life.

I went over to Moon Cow and, from her saddlebag, took out the white robe of the Chosen that I had been wearing when they kidnapped me. It had been through a lot since then and was looking decidedly the worse for wear, but that would probably be an advantage. I changed clothes quickly - the three guys all looking the other way.

"Ready."

Jax looked me over, then took a hold of the robe and ripped it.

"Thanks."

"Good luck."

"You, too."

I hugged Jax, then Gage, then Adrien. We tried not to make the goodbyes too emotional - after all, if things went well, then we would be back together before the end of the day. But what we were attempting came with no guarantees, and even if it all worked, who knew what would happen in the heat of battle? We had known each other so brief a time, and yet parting was disproportionately hard.

Gage gave me directions to the Sudder camp, and I set out on my own through the scrubby outskirts of the wood that surrounded the base of the volcano. It was not a long walk, and soon I was in sight of the encampment. It didn't fill me with confidence. With myself and Killian gone, the Norren camp currently consisted of three men and five horses - admittedly there would be more Norren along shortly, but there would still probably not be more than thirty men. The Sudder camp was an impressive array of tents, trimmed in gold and purple. Outside of them, seated on ornate chairs, cushioned in velvet, that someone had apparently carried here, were the Priests and the Commanders of the Holy Army, talking over wine and peeled grapes. Elsewhere, an armorer had set up doing running repairs on weapons and armor, a blacksmith was tending to the needs of the hundred or so horses which were currently milling about in a fenced-off area just beyond the camp proper. A kitchen had been set up, large enough to feed all the people and still provide a decent choice for the Priests, Caretakers and Officers who could hardly be expected to eat the same as the common soldiers or the Chosen. Encircling the camp was a perimeter of guards, their breastplates gleaming in the sunlight, their spears sharpened to a fine point, standing so rigidly to attention that they looked like statues. The enormity of the difference between the armies of Sudder and Norren was brought home to me in this one image of how the two sides prepared for battle, and it didn't look good for Norren.

On the other hand, the war continued. By all appearances, the Norren should have long since been wiped out and yet they had not. There were, as Jax had told me a few days ago, many reasons for that, but the main one was that the Norren had something to fight for. I hadn't fully understood that when he had first said it, but I did now. The Sudder soldiers fought because they were soldiers, they were paid to fight and they were told to fight. The Norren were fighting for their lives, for their families and for their freedom. Even when the sides were this imbalanced, that made a huge difference.

I took a deep breath, tried to dispel the knot of fear tied up in my stomach, and stumbled out of the undergrowth, gasping, crying, barely able to put one foot in front of the other and yelling for help. Soldiers dashed to meet me, threatening me with their spears, even though a single, small girl in a tatty robe was unlikely to represent any real threat to the Holy Army. I collapsed to the ground in front of them - quite convincingly, I thought.

As I pried my eyes open, I saw a familiar figure approaching. This would be the acid test - it was Caretaker Harvest.

"Aleah?" She looked down at me with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

"Help me," I begged in cracked tones. "I've escaped from Norren."