The Nine

by Terry Cloutier

  ​ “Why me?” I asked, grinning back at her. The thought of her and Jebido rutting was too ridiculous to even contemplate.

  ​ Ania stretched and stood up and she looked down at me with a knowing smile. “Older men don’t have the stamina they had when they were young. Half the time in bed is spent just trying to wake up their one-eyed snake.” She laughed. “Happily, I have come to learn that your snake is always awake and rarely seems to want to sleep.” She grinned widely and held her hand out to me. “Your snake isn’t tired right now, is it, Hadrack?”

  ​ A moment ago I’d felt confused and exhausted, afraid I’d ruined everything, and now I felt elation wash over me. We would live to see another day and all was right with the world.

  I stood up and Ania giggled with delight at the sight of my snake trying to push its way through my trousers. She took my hand and led me across the compound and to her bed. I didn’t resist. Why would I?

  Chapter 8: The Gatehouse

  ​ Hours later, I was awakened by a boot roughly prodding me. Ania and I were lying near the eastern palisade wall on top of a thick layer of boxwood shrubs that she’d gathered and then covered in furs. I was lying on my back, with Ania on her side and snuggled into my chest. The furs were pulled all the way up to our chins and I noticed absently that her hair smelled faintly of a mixture of sweat and shrubbery. She muttered softly in her sleep as she pressed herself deeper beneath the warmth. I groaned groggily at the intrusion and cracked one eye open.

  ​ “The Sword of the King wishes to speak with you,” Eriz said gruffly when he saw that I was awake.

  ​ I blinked up at him. “Now?” I whispered as Ania moved beside me. The sky was still dark with hundreds of bright stars winking down at me and a small crescent moon hung low in the sky, illuminating the campground weakly. “What does he want?” I asked hoarsely.

  ​ Eriz snorted. “It’s not my place to tell you what the Sword wants. Nor is it yours to question it. All that you need to know is that he wishes to see you.”

  ​ “Fine,” I grumbled as I cautiously pried myself away from Ania’s warm body and slipped out of the furs. Whatever this was about, it was obvious that Eriz was in no mood to explain it to me.

  ​ Eriz frowned at my nakedness as I stood shivering in front of him. “Get dressed,” he ordered. “Wear your armour and bring your weapons.”

  ​ Beneath me, Ania sighed and turned onto her back on the bed and then opened her eyes. She blinked several times, looking up at Eriz first, then shifting her eyes to me. “What’s happening?” she asked sleepily.

  ​ “It’s nothing,” Eriz said dismissively. He bent to one knee and kissed her on the cheek gently. “The Sword just wishes to speak with Hadrack.” He carefully pulled up the furs that had fallen off her shoulders and adjusted them around her like a mother tucking in a child. “Go back to sleep. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  ​ Ania’s eyes narrowed. “What does he need to speak to Hadrack about at this time of night?” she asked suspiciously.

  ​ Eriz frowned. “That will be revealed in the morning. For now, all you need worry about is getting some sleep.”

  ​ Ania pursed her lips and sat up, her face tight with growing anger. Around her the furs fell unnoticed from her upper body. She crossed her arms over her small breasts and looked at Eriz defiantly. “Tell me what this is about!” she demanded.

  While they were talking I’d hurriedly gotten dressed and had just finished belting Wolf’s Head around my waist. Eriz saw that I was ready and he motioned for me to follow him. “Eriz?” Ania called to our backs. “I’m talking to you!” Eriz ignored her and I glanced back at her and shrugged helplessly, grinning despite myself at the look of outrage on her face. Better she be mad at him than me, I thought to myself as I followed Eriz. He led me around sleeping Piths and the still smouldering remains of the dead to where a single square tent of black canvas stood silhouetted in the weak moonlight. I saw that Jebido was standing near the closed tent flap, clearly waiting for us, and he nodded in greeting as we approached.

  ​ “What’s going on?” I asked him.

  ​ Jebido just shrugged. “I’ve no idea.”

  ​ I noticed that like me he was fully armoured and wore both his long and short sword. “Where’s Baine?” I asked.

  ​ Jebido grinned. “His bedding was empty when Eriz woke me. If I had to guess, knowing that boy, I’d say he’s sharing a bed with someone else tonight.”

  ​ “Go on,” Eriz interrupted roughly, motioning us in as he swept aside the tent flap.

  ​ Jebido and I both had to lower our heads to pass through the opening. “Ah, there you are,” Einhard said, smiling widely as we entered. He was standing in the middle of the tent holding a battered tin mug in one hand, while his other hand was braced on his hip. I glanced around at the sparse furnishings. Two small wooden stools, a black bearskin rug covering the dirt floor and a raised bed at the back made from poles covered by straw stuffed into canvas. Two squat candles made from sheep fat sputtered on one of the stools, weakly lighting the interior and filling the tent with smoke and a heavy musky scent. Alesia sat reclining on the bed with her legs covered in a blanket of fur and she smiled at Jebido and I politely when we looked her way. She was dressed in a simple, sleeveless white tunic and as Einhard walked toward us with his arms outstretched, Alesia slowly moved the furs aside as she held my gaze, revealing her bare legs with just a shadowy hint of blonde hair nestled between them. She grinned at the look on my face and I caught a spark of mischief flare in her eyes before she glanced down, pretending to be surprised and quickly replaced the fur over her lower body. I silently grit my teeth and touched my Pair Stone, praying to both The Mother and The Father that she wouldn’t cause any more problems. Einhard stood before Jebido and embraced him warmly, then moved to me and gave me a mighty squeeze that took my breath away.

  “Did you enjoy the ceremony?” Einhard asked. Jebido and I shared a glance and both of us nodded at the same time.

  Behind us Eriz entered the tent and stood off to one side with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Good. Good,” Einhard said as he stepped back and took a drink from the tin. “It certainly wasn’t traditional,” he added with a short laugh. “But I believe it was successful and the Master showed our brothers and sister the true path.”

  ​ “Of course He showed them the true path,” Alesia said. “How could He refuse? You were magnificent. Not even the best trained Pathfinder could have done as well.”

  ​ “You think so?” Einhard said, turning to look at her.

  ​ “Absolutely,” Alesia said.

  ​ “Well,” Einhard said modestly. “We all played our part.” He smiled without humour. “Some more so than others,” he added dryly. He turned to face us and I saw Alesia’s expression stiffen at his words. “Forgive me for waking you,” Einhard continued, “but before the ceremony began I sent out several of our men to try and capture some of those bastards watching us.” Einhard’s eyes turned hard and I knew he was still upset that several of our own scouts had been missing for days now. “They’re good,” he conceded, “but I needed information before we move against the Ganders and I hoped that the Ascension Ceremony would distract them.” Einhard grinned at us. “It worked and we managed to kill one and capture another.” Einhard paused to sip from his tin. “That man gave us the information I needed, though truth be told, most of it is far from good.” He gestured to us with his hand. “You recall the other day I told you about the ford where we crossed the river?” Both Jebido and I nodded. “Well, as I suspected, the Ganders have discovered it and are lying in wait in the pass expecting us to return that way.”

  ​ “How many men?” Jebido asked.

  ​ Einhard shrugged. “More than enough, by the sounds of it.” He shook his head. “Only a simpleton would lead his men into that trap.” He grinned at us ruefully. “I like a fight as much as any man, but I’m no simpleton, so the pass is out.”

 
; ​ “What other options are there?” Jebido asked.

  ​ “Few,” Einhard said. “The White Rock river runs parallel to our position about five days ride to the west of us, then curves around across our path, heading east to the pass.”

  ​ “Effectively boxing us in,” Jebido muttered as he rubbed his chin. “You mentioned bridges before.”

  ​ “Yes,” Einhard nodded. “There are two of them to the northwest and a much bigger one near the pass.” He grimaced. “That bridge is heavily guarded with a gatehouse on each bank, not to mention the unfinished garrison close by.”

  ​ “And the other two?” Jebido asked.

  ​ “Nothing quite as elaborate,” Einhard said with a sigh. “Unfortunately, they are both many miles away and in the wrong direction.”

  ​ “We should go for one of the smaller western ones,” I said. It made sense to me. The Ganders were expecting us to head for the pass and might not be expecting us to turn and the bridges wouldn’t be as heavily defended. I said as much to Einhard, who listened patiently before shaking his head.

  ​ “They’re ready for that too,” he said. “They have men spread out in a wide arc along the river and they’re watching the bridges just in case. The moment we turn west they’ll know and will be ready for us. We’re going to need to move fast and catch them by surprise if we want to get away.”

  ​ “So that leaves us with the bigger bridge,” Jebido said.

  ​ “Yes,” Einhard nodded. “It’s our only chance.”

  ​ “If it’s anything like what you say it is,” Jebido said, “then getting through those gatehouses won’t be easy.”

  ​ “Nothing ever is,” Einhard grunted.

  ​ “Couldn’t we just swim the river at some point?” I asked. I wasn’t all that enthused with the idea myself, since all the swimming I’d ever done had consisted of splashing around in the lagoon down in Father’s Arse but, just the same, I thought it needed to be said.

  ​ Einhard snorted. “Not a chance! The White Rock is wide and deep with treacherous currents that would pull us all under. We’d never make it.” He shook his head. “The only option is the southern bridge. The good news in all this is the prisoner tells me they don’t expect us to attack there, so surprise will be on our side.” He grinned at us. “I believe the man’s words were, only a fool would do that.”

  ​ “Surprise is all well and good,” Jebido said, “but getting through those two gatehouses will take a lot of time and a lot of lives.”

  ​ “Perhaps,” Einhard chuckled. “Perhaps not. The gatehouses are indeed well guarded, and I understand that there are at least several hundred men being held as reserves in the garrison. If my plan works, then by the time we get there most of those men should be gone.” He gestured to Eriz, who bent down and picked up two surcoats with the King of Ganderland’s stag crest on them which I’d failed to notice lying in a heap on the floor. Eriz handed Jebido and I each one of the surcoats and then stepped back. “I want you two to go to the bridge ahead of us and pose as Gandermen,” Einhard said. I looked down at the surcoat in my hand, trying to understand how doing that would help our cause as Einhard continued, “Our Gander friend told me that there are more scouts out there and that they always work in sets of two.” He glanced at Jebido. “Does he speak true?”

  ​ “Yes,” Jebido said. “They usually do it that way.”

  ​ “Very well,” Einhard said, nodding to himself. “You and Hadrack will take the Gander horses we captured and make your way south, heading for the bridge.” He glanced at Eriz. “We’ll create a diversion for you so you can slip out without those other scouts seeing you. With the darkness you should be able to get away undetected.”

  ​ “And then what?” Jebido asked.

  ​ “The bridge is roughly a day’s ride from here and I want you two to be well on your way before the sun comes up. I don’t want those scouts seeing you and wondering what you’re up to. I have other plans for them.” Einhard nodded to Eriz beside us. “Eriz and Tato will leave with you and will hide in the forest and wait. First thing in the morning the rest of us will break for the bridge at full speed. That should alarm those Gander scouts and I’m sure they’ll race back to their masters to report what’s happening. They’ll be moving fast to stay ahead of us and most likely won’t be as cautious as they normally would be, so it should be easy for Eriz and Tato to eliminate them. We can’t have them showing up and contradicting what I want you two to say. When you get close to the bridge, wait for Eriz to contact you that all is well and that the rest of us are getting close. That’s when you two ride in and tell the Ganders that, as expected, we’ve attacked at the eastern pass. My understanding is that this news will draw some, if not all of the garrison force away. The rest of us will hold far enough back so that the Ganders won’t see our dust. If they fall for it, Eriz will let us know and we’ll attack.”

  ​ “That might work,” Jebido said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But there’s no chance they’re going to leave that bridge undefended.”

  ​ “I know that,” Einhard said. “If you and Hadrack can take the first gatehouse, then we can rush the second one and overwhelm it before they know what’s happening. The key is getting rid of as many men from the garrison as we can so they can’t reinforce that second gatehouse. Once we’re across the river, they won’t have a chance of catching us.”

  “What about Baine?” I asked, realizing there had been no mention of him. “Why isn’t he going with us?”

  ​ Einhard shrugged. “For this to work they have to believe you two are Gander scouts and we now know they only work in pairs. Baine will have to stay with us.” He gestured to the tent flap. “There’s only a few hours or so of darkness before dawn breaks, so you’d better get going.”

  ​ “One moment,” Jebido said, lifting a hand to stop us. He looked at Einhard. “This scout you captured. Is he still alive?”

  ​ “Yes,” Einhard said with a frown. “Why?”

  ​ “I need to speak with him,” Jebido said.

  ​ Einhard shook his head. “There’s no time.”

  ​ “We’ll have to make time,” Jebido insisted. He lifted a hand to stop Einhard as the Pith leader began to protest. “When I was in the army we always had a watchword. Nobody comes into camp without it. I don’t know what the protocol is at that gatehouse, but if we show up without that word they might suspect something is wrong.”

  ​ Einhard grunted and made a face. “Very well,” he said. He turned to Eriz. “Take them to the prisoner and get what you need from him, but in the name of the Master be quick about it!”

  ​ “Of course, brother,” Eriz said. He turned to us and motioned us out.

  ​ I nodded to Einhard and, as I turned to follow Jebido out, I stole a quick glance at Alesia, even though I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t. Alesia saw my look and she wiggled her fingers playfully at me in farewell and grinned. I quickly shifted my eyes away and ducked my head low as I followed Eriz and Jebido through the entrance. Everything was in darkness outside, as the weak crescent moon had slipped behind a thick bank of heavy clouds. At Eriz’s signal, a huge bonfire suddenly roared to life at the northern corner of the compound and Pith warriors began milling around it drinking and laughing as one of the women stood up and began to dance naked in the firelight.

  ​ “We must be quick,” Eriz said, leading us to the western wall of the palisade where I saw a man lying on the ground with his back propped up against the heaped bank of soil. His head was pulled back at an angle and a thick rope encircled his neck, the rope then tied to the wooden palisade wall above him. Blood covered his chest and one eye was swollen completely shut. Both his arms were spread to each side with rope tied around each wrist and lashed to the wall. I saw that he was awake and his one good eye followed us fearfully as we approached.

  ​ Eriz motioned to Jebido, who squatted down in front of the Gander soldier. “It’s not looking so good for you right now, friend,” Je
bido said.

  ​ The Gander soldier blinked his good eye and studied Jebido. Then his mouth curled in a sneer. “You’re one of us, you traitorous bastard!”

  ​ Jebido grunted. “I was, but that was a long time ago.” He drew his short sword and stared at the soldier. “Tell me the watchword.”

  ​ The Gander soldier’s eye widened in surprise. “Why would you need to know that?”

  ​ Jebido lowered his sword until the tip was resting on the man’s right kneecap. “My reasons are my own. What is the watchword?”

  ​ The soldier shook his head. “You’re going to kill me anyway, so why should I tell you?”

  ​ Jebido shrugged. “Because there’s quick dying,” he said, “or there’s long dying.” Jebido moved his wrist and the soldier screamed as blood began seeping through his trousers at his knee. “Tell me the watchword and I promise you’ll die quick.” He pushed again with the sword and the man cried out a second time. “Don’t tell me and I’ll make sure you take a long time to die.” He lifted his sword into the air and looked at the bloody blade critically. “The choice is yours. I’ve got all night and if I get tired, I can always turn you over to the women.” Jebido gestured to where several Pith women stood watching and encouraging the naked dancer in front of the bonfire. “They really are savages, you know. You wouldn’t believe the things that they do to their enemies.” He leaned forward and whispered in the soldier’s ear and I saw the man’s eye widen in shock and his face turn even paler than it had been. He glanced at the women and swallowed, then looked back at Jebido. “You promise you’ll end it if I tell you? No more pain?”

  ​ “You have my word,” Jebido said.

  ​ The soldier nodded. “The watchword is Tyro.”

  ​ “The king’s son?” Jebido said.

  ​ “Yes,” the soldier whispered. He closed his eye and looked away. “He’s in command.”

  ​ “Ah,” Jebido said. He glanced at me. “He was just a boy nine years ago.” I nodded to him in understanding and Jebido stood up and looked down at the soldier. “Thank you,” he said. He leaned forward and without hesitating, drew his sword blade swiftly across the soldier’s exposed neck, cutting through rope and cartilage. The man shuddered as blood spurted and then he sagged forward, hanging limply by his bound wrists. Jebido turned to us and nodded. “We can go now.”