[This post is from Sif’s point of view.]
Sif’s eyes narrowed as she tracked Anhur’s approach, squinting at the shadows that seemed to gather around his feet, writhing and twisting. She hadn’t determined whether or not it was an optical illusion when Seamus joined her on the wall, grim-faced.
“That was fast,” she said. “Thordin find you first?”
“I could feel something coming,” Seamus said, his voice low and grim.
“Mm,” she said, frowning slightly. “One of the great hunters has harnessed the skies again. Anhur comes.”
“He was supposed to be dead. We heard about it in the north.”
“Thordin killed him at Saqqara,” Sif said quietly, shifting her weight. She had an arrow at hand, but her draw arm was relaxed as she watched the enemy’s advance. “He shouldn’t have been able to come back.”
“Aegyptus always had its secrets,” Seamus murmured, shaking his head. “And they certainly had a penchant for cropping up just when you thought they were down for the count.”
“He was dead, Seamus. Thordin took off his head.”
“But did you burn the body?”
Sif winced.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Seamus said, then shook his head, leaning forward slightly. He wore a sword strapped to his hip and had a bow at hand. “That’s the only way to make sure they stay gone with that one, Sif.”
“Forgive me if we didn’t have the luxury of immolating the corpse, Seamus.”
“I’m just saying.”
She felt the very strong temptation to punch him, one she suppressed ruthlessly. Behind them, she could hear the sounds of Paul and some of the others manning the watchtower, preparing for a fight. Her jaw tightened.
“I don’t suppose we’re anticipating the ability to negotiate,” Seamus said, glancing back over his shoulder for a moment, then forward again to the advancing storm.
“No,” Sif said. “Not at all. Thordin killed him, Seamus. He’s not here to negotiate with us. He’s here to take down anyone who gets in his way.”
