by Peter Wacht
She heard her friends scream in fear behind her, and Kaylie realized to her horror that there was nowhere to go. They were trapped against the lake. She told her legs to move, that it was time to run, but still she remained rooted to the ground. The Ogren roared again, a terrifying sound that sent shivers through her body. Not able to move her legs, Kaylie was glad to see that at least her arms obeyed her. She reached for her small belt knife and pulled it free from the sheath. She had a weapon now, though she didn't think it would do any good.
The hides of the Ogren resembled tough brown leather, and their movements belied a remarkable agility for creatures so large. Seeing that their prey had not run as they expected, the two hideous creatures moved forward slowly, enjoying the pleasure of a certain kill. Large, sharp tusks protruded from their lower jaws and curled upward, and their hands were shaped more like claws than fingers. They held large, steel maces. Gobs of saliva ran down the two Ogren's jaws as they let out more triumphant roars. Kaylie had read that these hideous beasts liked to play with their prey before killing it. Well, she refused to be easy meat.
She told herself to run again — Camilla and Nikola were now begging her to — but her legs still refused to move. If Maddan was her champion, why wasn't he here now? Irritation flashed within her. He was probably in the lake with the others. She was frightened too, but she wasn't a coward. Fine, if her legs weren't going to move, then she'd stay here. She had a knife, pitiful as it was, and she refused to go down without a fight.
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
Fighting Back
Thomas was on his feet the moment the Ogren entered the glade, but he was too far away to run around the lake. He wouldn't get to the girl in time. The two monsters bore down on her, and her friends had moved into the lake, terrified of the Ogren. So much for those boys' fighting skills. Either the girl was very brave or too scared to move, and judging by the way she held her dagger straight out in front of her, arm stiffened, it was probably the latter. Nevertheless, she certainly had courage.
Picking up his bow, Thomas pulled four arrows from the quiver on his back and pushed their points into the soft dirt in front of him. Dropping to one knee as Ari had shown him, he nocked an arrow to the string and pulled it back to his cheek. The closer he was to his arrows, The Archer had said, the faster he could shoot.
Thomas sighted on the lead Ogren, took a deep breath and released. As the first arrow streaked across the lake, the second arrow followed right behind it, and the third and the fourth. Dropping the bow, Thomas pulled his sword from his scabbard and jumped onto a thick tree branch hanging over the lake that was about fifteen feet in front of him. Maybe he could get to her in time. Maybe.
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
Surprise
The two Ogren continued their approach. Kaylie thought she was going to be sick. She had never been so afraid in her life. The first Ogren was no more than ten feet away, and she could smell him now. It was a sickening stench that resembled decaying meat. She told her arm not to shake as the dagger wavered in her hand. But it was no use. Her arms were beginning to feel like her legs.
The lead Ogren stepped closer as the other remained behind it, cutting off any hope for escape. As the creature moved closer, he swung his mace through the air. The beast let out another terrifying roar, and in that instant Kaylie knew that she was going to die. It wasn't fair, she wanted to scream. It just wasn't fair!
Strangely, the roar didn't sound the same as before. The previous ones had been to frighten her and her friends; these were roars of fury.
The lead Ogren pulled at something in its chest, then at something sticking out of its thick neck, but the best it could do was break off the parts that stuck out from its body. They were arrows, but where did they come from?
CHAPTER FORTY
Approach
Thomas moved quickly across the branches, staying as quiet as possible. He didn't have to worry too much about detection really, as the screams of fear from the boys and girls standing in the lake and the roars of the Ogren hid his movement.
Stepping lightly across the path of branches, he saw Beluil break through the brush to his left. Right on time. Now all he had to do was get to where he was supposed to be before the two Ogren decided to attack together rather than separately.
And they would, once they realized their quarry would offer little resistance.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
Victory
The Ogren roared in pain, but it still moved toward her. More slowly now, wary, scanning the surrounding forest for the source of the arrows. Kaylie had forgotten the stench. She knew that the Ogren wasn't worried about her dagger. It would take only one swing of that massive club to crush her skull. In a few steps, the beast would be able to reach out and grab her, and then that would be the end, no matter how hard she fought.
She couldn't look away from the terrible menace stepping toward her, an evil grin spreading across its hideous face as it studied its midday meal. She could almost feel the claw closing around her neck. She would never lie to her father again, she promised, if only she could escape. As if answering her plea, the Ogren stepped back a few paces.
A large black wolf appeared before her, teeth bared, an angry growl emanating from deep within its belly. It was the largest wolf she had ever seen. Normally, she would have been terrified. Yet at the moment, she felt relief. If the wolf wanted to help, that was fine with her. She focused on her legs, willing them to listen to her commands. Finally, agonizingly, as if they were stuck knee deep in mud, they listened. Kaylie shuffled back a few steps until she was at the edge of the lake, which was as far as she could go. Otherwise, she would have collapsed from fear because her legs felt so weak.
The wolf backed up with her, opening up more space in front of the Ogren. It continued to stand there, feinting an attack every so often to keep the Ogren at a distance. Though the Ogren was larger than the wolf, it had immediately become cautious. Then, a flash of light on steel streaked across Kaylie’s eyes.
Thomas hurtled down from the branches above the lake. He landed between the two Ogren, wanting to take on only one at a time. One man fighting a single Ogren was risky enough; fighting two at the same time was suicidal. Thankfully, Beluil was there to help. Thomas knew that Beluil would arrive first, so the wolf's primary task was to buy enough time for Thomas to cross the lake.
Thomas moved quickly toward the unsuspecting Ogren in front of him. The creature's full attention was on the large wolf blocking the way to its prey. The Ogren guarding the path roared in an attempt to warn its companion, but failed.
Coming up from behind the first Ogren, Thomas slashed its hamstrings. The beast cried out in agony and swung its mace clumsily behind it toward this unseen foe. Thomas rolled forward on his shoulder, easily avoiding the blow. He quickly regained his feet and saw that his strategy had worked. The Ogren fell forward, first on its knees, then on its stomach, its damaged legs unable to support its heavy body. The screams of pain from the wounded Ogren washed over Thomas as the creature clutched its legs. His concentration was so intense, his mind centered on nothing else but the task at hand. He felt very much like he did when using the Talent — the total concentration, the purpose, the control. Thomas didn't think, he simply moved, letting his instincts and training lead him through the fight.
Not wanting to give the Ogren a chance to rise, Thomas bounded forward and thrust his sword deep into the beast's back, digging for its heart. Giving the blade a twist for good measure, Thomas turned to face the other Ogren. Seeing its companion's demise, the creature charged forward with surprising speed, a bloodcurdling roar splitting the air, mace raised above its head, its gruesome face twisted into a mask of hate. Beluil was already moving to the creature's side, hoping to distract it long enough to give Thomas room to maneuver. But Thomas couldn't. The girl was standing only a few feet behind him. If he dodged out of the way, the Ogren might go right for her, and she wouldn't stand a chance. He had no choice but to stand his gr
ound.
Thomas shifted his grip on his sword, holding it like he would a staff. The Ogren charged forward, swinging its mace down toward Thomas' head with incredible force. Thomas held the sword in front of him like a shield, letting the blow slide off his blade. The Ogren's strength forced him to one knee. Though his arms were numb from the power of the attack, much to his relief the steel blade held.
Surprised that its first blow had been blocked, the Ogren raised its mace again, its shoulder muscles bunching in anticipation. But in its frenzy to attack, it had forgotten it was facing two foes. Thomas, kneeling in front of the Ogren, prepared to ward off the second blow, then saw a black blur launch itself onto the Ogren's back, its teeth and claws puncturing the beast's neck and back. The Ogren screamed in rage and spun around, trying desperately to remove this new enemy from its back.
Thomas jumped to his feet and again slashed across the back of the Ogren's legs. The monster fell forward onto its knees, his scream of agony filling the glade. Beluil jumped down from his perch, giving Thomas room. With the creature still turned away, Thomas mustered all of his strength, leveling his sword directly below the Ogren's head. His blade sliced easily through the creature's neck, its head flying several feet in the air to land by the edge of the lake. The Ogren's body crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, its blood spilling out over the grass. Beluil glided over to the first Ogren, sniffing the body, then did the same with the second. Satisfied that both were dead, it began to clean the Ogren's blood from its muzzle.
Thomas let out a deep breath. It was his first real fight, and he had come through it in one piece. If he returned home with more than a scratch, Rya would likely never let him leave the isle again. Making sure that Beluil was all right, Thomas turned away from his two kills. The boys and girls remained in the lake. Though their fear remained, they were now silent. Two of the girls cried softly. The third clung to the large boy, staring at nothing.
Feeling eyes on him, Thomas turned to the dark-haired girl standing by the edge of the lake, the only person in the glade other than himself to actually draw a blade. Up close he confirmed what he had seen from atop the waterfall. She had beautiful eyes, more beautiful than he had thought when he had seen them from the waterfall. Eyes you could drown in … just as he was doing now. Thomas cleared his thoughts. If there were two Ogren about, there could be more. Though he no longer felt any disturbance in the Burren, he didn't want to take a chance. He had learned one thing, though. From now on, he wouldn't wait for his enemy to come to him. If his blade hadn't held up against the Ogren’s blow, he'd be dead. From now on, he'd attack and make his own luck.
CHAPTER FORTY TWO
Saved
Kaylie couldn't take her eyes from her rescuer. She had never seen anyone fight like that — so fast, so confident in his actions — yet he was no older than she. There was a hardness to his features that you normally wouldn't see in one so young. She had watched Kael Bellilil put Fal Carrach's soldiers through their paces several times, often because her father wanted her to do it. He repeatedly told her she had to know who she would be sending off to battle — the people, not the numbers.
Kael loved to train his men by telling stories, and the tale she remembered most vividly was the one of a single man trying to defeat an Ogren, only to fail in the end. Kael had said a single man killing an Ogren by himself would be an example of pure luck; and the fact that the man had even taken on the Ogren, an example of pure stupidity. But this one person — this boy! — had challenged two, and won, admittedly with the help of a wolf. What did that make him? The very fact that a wolf had fought with him was unbelievable. She had heard of people who could speak with animals, but that was supposed to have occurred hundreds of years in the past.
Kaylie stepped back into water of the lake. He was looking at her now, those hard green eyes taking in everything about her in a single glance. Maybe it was her imagination, but his eyes seemed to almost glow a dark green. Whatever the cause, she was entranced. It was like staring into two gems. It took a moment for her to realize that he was talking to her.
"Is anyone hurt?" He had a quiet voice, but one that you listened to.
"No. We're all right," she replied in a whisper. It sounded as if her heart was beating louder than she was talking.
"Good," he said. "I suggest that you and your friends get out of the Burren quickly. You should be safe for the moment, but where there are two Ogren, there are bound to be more."
"We'll go now," she said in a stronger voice, seeing that her friends were already coming out of the lake. Eric and Rohn were walking over to calm the terrified horses, which luckily hadn't broken free from their tethers.
The boy nodded. Their eyes locked for a moment. She could feel the intensity within him, and the strength. She found it exciting and frightening all at once, but then he turned away from her. Walking toward the wolf, he stroked its fur for a moment before they both walked off into the trees, disappearing from view.
"Thank you," she whispered, wishing she had thought to say that before, wishing that she had thought of something so she could talk to him just a little bit longer. She had never met anyone like him before.
She shook her head in frustration. At least her legs worked normally again. Kaylie hurried around the campsite, urging her friends to mount before moving toward her horse. Lissa, Nikola and Camilla were crying, and the boys were still shaken. After what seemed like an hour, but was only a few minutes, Kaylie had her friends on the way back to Ballinasloe.
Bringing up the rear of the party, she looked down at the two Ogren lying dead by the lake, and then into the trees where the boy had disappeared. There was a part of her that wanted to meet this green-eyed boy again, but now was not the time to think of that. Kaylie dug her heels into her horse and took the lead of the frightened column as they made their way home. She had wanted an adventure today and gotten more than she bargained for.
CHAPTER FORTY THREE
A New Road
Thomas and Beluil walked into the forest and circled around the glade until they were back atop the waterfall. As he retrieved his bow, Thomas berated himself for not asking the girl’s name. He should have, but he was nervous and he couldn't get the words out. Well, actually very nervous. It had been years since he was around anyone his own age, much less a beautiful girl.
"Thank you, my friend," said Thomas to Beluil, who stood at his side. The wolf was removing the last of the Ogren's blood from his maw. He didn't like the taste of it. Deer was much sweeter; but this, this was like rancid water.
Beluil growled softly. Thomas deciphered the wolf's thoughts, "Brothers." He understood. Brothers helped one another. Brothers protected one another. Thomas ran his fingers through the wolf's fur affectionately.
"I was wondering when you were going to appear," said Thomas, still scratching behind Beluil's ears. The wolf enjoyed the attention immensely.
"You didn't seem to need any help,” replied Rynlin, stepping out from between the trees.
"Thank you."
Thomas understood how hard it must have been for Rynlin not to join the fray. His grandfather had a gruff exterior, and became irritated easily, but Thomas knew that Rynlin cared about him. Thomas was grateful that Rynlin gave him the opportunity to do this on his own. He was growing up, and Rya was having a hard time dealing with that fact. Rynlin, at least, understood what he was going through to a certain extent and was willing to extend the boundaries as needed.
Rynlin simply nodded.
"I was going to follow them to the edge of the Burren, to make sure they got out safely."
"An excellent idea," said Rynlin. "I'll go with you."
They trailed the frightened group as they made their way south to Ballinasloe. Judging from their rich clothes, they were either the children of merchants or lords.
Thomas and Rynlin were quiet for a time, entertaining their own thoughts. Beluil came and went, scouting the forest around them.
"Grandfather?"
"I had a question for you about the Highlanders. Are they really such good fighters as the history books say? I remember watching some of the Marcher training sessions when I was younger, but I never saw them fight in a battle."
"Well, Thomas, I guess you could say that the history books are correct, at least in that respect," answered Rynlin. "You may already know some of it from your lessons. The Highlanders have always been known as warriors, and most of the stories about their legendary feats of endurance and fighting skills, like marching a hundred miles in a day then routing the opposing army the next, are true.”
"All Highlanders begin their weapons training upon reaching their tenth year,” he continued. “I'm sure you were about to start your training as well, if not for that cursed night. As you know, among the Highlanders is an elite group of warriors, known as the Marchers. These men are tasked with defending the borders of the Highlands. A challenge, if there ever was one, for there are not all that many Highlanders. There are, however, a lot of mountains, so they have quite a large territory to defend. Nevertheless, they have succeeded in maintaining the sanctity of their borders, at least until recently."
Rynlin's last few words burned into Thomas' heart. "They have succeeded … at least until recently." The Crag had fallen as a result, and Thomas still didn't know what had happened.
"The Marchers were considered the greatest warriors in all the Kingdoms, rivaling only the Sylvana in martial skill. As a result, they often served as bodyguards for kings and queens and other notables. The Highland Lord provided the Marchers to any ruler who could afford them, as their services did not come cheaply. For centuries, they were considered the ultimate mercenaries. That all changed, though. Hundreds of years ago, before the Great War, the Marchers were serving as the bodyguards for the High King, a weak man named Midraes. The High King raped a young lady in waiting, and her family, which happened to be one of the most powerful in all the Kingdoms, demanded justice. To make a long story short, Midraes falsely accused a Marcher for the crime and had him put to death in hopes of appeasing the girl's family. The remaining Marchers knew the truth of the matter, and they would not allow such a heinous act to go unpunished. The Marchers exposed Midraes for the criminal he was and then executed him. Because of the betrayal, the Marchers refused to serve another ruler from that day forward.