Editing Battle of Breaking Iron (section)

==Did many men die?==

"Not a single Marukan fell that day."

The three girls gathered closer.  Liasta said, "What kind of war is it where no one dies?"

"Oh, my daughters, many men and beasts died that day.  They marched on us with thousands of hill men and half-men, those things that are part beast, with hoozes and horns and crude iron axes.  We let them come to the gates of the manse, which are made of wood that is like iron.  They hurled themselves against it, but it would not give way.  All fell according to the plan of [[Storm of Amber]].  At the signal, a decoy dressed like the leader led [[Shouting With Iron]] away towards the canyon of the [[Vitreous Fulcrum]].  He took with him his beastmen, and then we rode out against them.

"I don't know what happened to those beastmen; but I know that for ever hundred that came against us only one survived the day.  A few still live in [[God Crossing]], humbled by the experience.  The bulk of our riders chased them down, but I don't know what fate actually befell them.  I went with the boy-wizard, [[Rivers Between Us]], one scale against nearly a legion of the hill tribesman.

"I don't know how it happened... but with him in the lead they couldn't touch us.  Arrows rained on us as thick as the hail in Ascending Water, but they broke on our armor and were ripped aside by the flares of light that surrounded us.  By the time we'd driven them to the evacuated crossroads, many of them had routed.  Then the fierce general, [[Cathak Nekuto]], and [[The Zhuque Brotherhood]] tore them to pieces.  Thirty-two against two thousand... and we won.  Not a man hurt, but that fool Iszak.  I warned them he couldn't manage a horse.

Liantha tugged at his sleeve.  "But what happened to the thunderbird?  Did he get away?"

"No, my child."  Clear Moon looked out the window at the stars appearing in the night sky, spreading over the horizon like a shimmering banner.  "No mortal man knows what happened in that canyon.  Some say that he smote [[Storm of Amber]] with his hammer and the very sun blasted him from creation for his blasphemy against his high priest.  I heard some tell that when faced with the righteous fury of [[Nameless Ravine]] he died instantly of fright.  I heard many wild theories, that there is a fifth chosen with blades like ice that poisoned his very god-spirit, or that the wizard with his hook swords banished him to Malfeas.  I even heard of a great beast like a mantis that appeared on the field and rended flesh like grass, and that it tore him to pieces with two click-clicks of its great claws!"  The girls shrieked in mock terror as he leaned over with clawlike hands and snatched at them.  He chuckled and said, "All that is certain is that seven entered the valley, seven peerless gods, chosen, nightmares, and spirits, but only six remained at the end of the day."