by M J Webb
“But… What about me?” asked Ben, as he felt nervously for the bag hanging around his waist to ensure that he still had the box of stones he’d been entrusted with. “What do you want me to do?”
Knesh smiled confidently at him. “You, my young friend, you stick close to me. I will protect you, but you must do as I say. And you may need that sword before this day is through.” answered Knesh as they ran into the forest, pointing to the weapon dangling from Ben’s belt. Ben didn’t answer. He gulped hard and continued running, trying to stay as close to the warrior as he could.
* * *
Beneath the ridge, on the Plains of Astelli, Sawdon was standing impatiently at the head of his Thargws. The ferocious warriors were all silent. But all were breathing hard with excitement at the prospect of imminent battle. Sawdon was staring intently at the rising sun, willing it to rise even faster so that he could begin the day’s work and be about his business. He knew he still had a few minutes to wait before the light would be sufficient to advance and he turned around to glance at the lines of soldiers that were formed up for the attack on either side of him.
‘Raarrr!!! Thousands of warriors from various nations, all of us waiting for the order to advance that will surely come with the rising sun, just as soldiers have done throughout time, in every continent and on every world.’ he thought, with excitement and pride. ‘It is good to be alive!’ He wanted to begin the attack as quickly as possible, but he was now thoroughly enjoying every minute of the wait.
The six thousand Thargws formed the vanguard of the Northern Army battleline. They were exactly where they wanted to be; out front and in the centre of the army’s advance. They were flanked on either side by the Taskan Warriors to their right, and the Falorian Spearmen to their left. The Petrosyan Footsoldiers and Nadjan Archers held the northern flank, whilst the ill-disciplined Dzorag protected the south. The assortment of warriors that remained formed a reserve force that lay just behind these formations, intended for use as a second wave of attackers that would be committed to battle as and when the initial force faltered, or when they needed relieving due to fatigue. This was much to their annoyance, as they knew that there was little chance of either happening where the Thargws in particular were concerned. Finally, the hundred Personal Guard were all deployed around Vantrax’ position on the ridge, there to protect the King and whisk him away to the safety of Heron Getracht fortress, should it become necessary.
From his position on the plain, Sawdon could see Vantrax on the highest point of the ridge above. The warrior’s attention was focussed fully on his King now as he waited impatiently for the signal to begin the attack. Vantrax was sitting next to Strymos. The old commander (and still Gerada) of the Northern Army was now being effectively bypassed in all decision making and he sat next to his master in complete silence, frustrated at the situation that had developed beyond his control, but knowing that he dare not object to it. Suddenly, King Vantrax stood up. He raed his right arm and held it aloft for a few seconds before letting it fall slowly to his side, signalling to all the Northern Army that the battle could commence. Sawdon acknowledged the signal enthusiastically by lifting his arm. He turned to a young Thargw in the front rank of soldiers. The youngster smiled broadly, he needed no instruction, and eagerly took up his battlehorn which was hanging on a strap around his shoulder. He blew into it as hard as he could twice and a resounding, deafening noise pierced the morning air.
On hearing the sound, six thousand Thargws automatically bolted upright in unison, their sudden movement creating a loud and impressive noise as swords clashed on armour and each and every one of them grunted loudly. Sawdon turned back around with his sword arm raised, he lowered it rapidly in a forward motion that pointed toward the forest and the whole terrifying Thargw contingent began walking slowly towards Erriard and the awaiting rebels, every single one of them in perfect marching order. The remainder of the Northern Army didn’t move. They waited until the Thargws were half way to the forest, adhering rigidly to their own battle orders, issued personally by Sawdon that morning. Then, at the appropriate moment, a member of Vantrax’ Personal Guard blew hard on a Nadjan hunting horn and signalled the general advance. The entire first wave of Northern Army soldiers came forward now, slowly at first, advancing toward the rebels, their pace suddenly quickening as they reached the outskirts of the forest.
* * *
It was bright and sunny now on the Astelli Plains. But the rebels hidden in Erriard forest were still concealed in the darkness afforded by the thick tree canopy overhead. They lay in wait patiently for their advancing foe, each of them trying hard to suppress their breathing and resist the urge to move, or do anything that might give away their position.
The Thargws were the first to reach the edge of the forest. Sawdon was still leading from the front as usual, but the soldiers around him had all broken ranks to form a perfect battleline, several ranks deep, which extended for some distance on either side of their leader. As the Thargws entered the forest, the sunlight suddenly gave way to relative darkness and their sensitive eyes took a second or two to adjust to the changing light.
The rebels timed their first attack to perfection! A hail of spears, arrows and slingshot stopped the Thargws in their tracks, as the warriors attempted to focus their eyes in the darkness.
It was a devastating first strike which caused considerable casualties amongst the first rank of attacking soldiers. The Thargws were stunned momentarily and took a second or two to realise what was happening. Then they became incensed with anger, particularly Sawdon, who had miraculously survived the first onslaught. He roared violently at seeing his comrades fall around him and turned to encourage his countrymen forward.
When he turned back again to face the rebels, they had gone! All that Sawdon could see before him now, were trees and bushes. The dark, empty forest seemed devoid of any life or activity as far as his senses could tell, and there was no sign of any of the soldiers who had attacked them.
To the left and right of the Thargws the remainder of the Northern Army was now also entering the forest. At different points along the line they were all met by the rebels with similar, devastating tactics and ambushes. Artrexmy, following Knesh’ instructions to the letter, hit the attackers hard with everything they had in lightning strikes, before fading away into the darkness, deliberately attempting to avoid close-quarter battle for as long as they possibly could.
* * *
Ben had stayed as close as he could to Knesh and Artrex throughout the first engagement. He’d remained hidden and silent as he watched the Thargws advance towards them across the Astelli Plains, trying desperately to control his fear which was affecting every part of him. His hands were shaking badly and his mouth was dry. He was absolutely terrified. His first encounter with the enemy at the Herfion Mountains had definitely not prepared him for this! He wanted to run, to get out of that forest as fast as he possibly could, preferably back to his nice, safe existence in Lichfield. But he couldn’t! He didn’t.
As he waited anxiously for the imminent attack, he suddenly remembered Knesh’ words of the night before, when he had said that ‘fear was natural’, and that ‘everybody would be feeling it to some degree, even Knesh.’ His own fear subsided just a little, just enough, as he took comfort from having the experienced warrior by his side.
Ben was deep in thought and taken completely by surprise when Knesh had yelled, ‘Now!’ at the top of his voice to start the attack, even though he knew it was coming. He’d instinctively tried to stand up, before feeling the giant hand of Knesh pushing down firmly on his shoulder, just as the rebel archers behind him fired their arrows, which whizzed past his head so closely that he felt the wind they made as they sliced through the air on their way to their Thargw targets.
After that, Ben had remained crouched down low, watching with a mixture of feelings and emotions as the arrows hit their intended targets and the Thargws were slaughtered in droves. Moments later, he found himself being d
ragged swiftly backwards by Knesh, the warrior making no sound as they both turned and sprinted the short distance to the second hiding place, from where the next ambush would be launched. Ben was amazed to find that this second concealed ambush point had already been furnished with weapons by the rebel soldiers, a party of them having worked secretly overnight on Knesh’ instructions. He was impressed at the foresight Knesh had shown. Each individual hiding place had been pre-arranged and loaded with all the weapons they needed to halt the attackers, which meant that the rebel defenders of the forest didn’t have to carry them, and ensured that they could move swiftly between ambush points unhindered by excess weight. Knesh had arranged all of this, and yet he’d hardly left the campfire all night. The knowledge that Knesh knew exactly what he was doing was giving the frightened and confused Ben confidence. And he sorely needed it at this point in time. The Gerada obviously had a plan, he was in control of the situation and all those around him knew their part in his plan. Ben began to feel a little better about things, despite the vast numbers of enemy that still opposed them.
* * *
The entire first wave of Northern Army soldiers were now deep within the forest. Many of their colleagues lay dead and wounded on the forest floor. Ambush after ambush had been mounted by the rebels but still they kept coming on in huge numbers. There seemed to be no end to them!
The rebels were now rapidly running out of space and weapons. They were falling back gradually and as planned to a position which Knesh had chosen as their ‘last line of defence’. Their constant attacks on the enemy forces had been very effective so far and inflicted many casualties but, in some areas, particularly the centre-right where they fought against the Falorians, they hadn’t been able to stem the enemy advance sufficiently, and they were now in imminent danger of being caught and overrun. The Falorian Spearmen seemed to be able to ‘soak up’ the rebel assaults without stopping their advance, each of them having the ability to sustain numerous wounds whilst still remaining an effective fighting force and driving forward. It was a development that Knesh hadn’t allowed for in his original plan. He had no reserves with which to strengthen the defence, and the situation was now critical! Runners came to the centre camp to deliver the news to Knesh and the King.
To ensure that an escape route remained open to them Knesh had issued orders that the ‘last line of defence’ would be held until the Rhuaddan Geslaq sounded (A small wooden device with holes cut into it which, when whirled rapidly around the head on a piece of vine, emitted a high pitch shrill that could be heard for miles). Upon hearing the Geslaq, all of the rebels would detach themselves from battle and fall back quickly to form a pre-determined rectangular shaped formation, centred on their original camp deep in the forest. This rectangle would end at the western exit to Erriard forest and therefore create a ‘corridor’ for escape, leading to the Ipson River and the T’Nesc Moorlands beyond, with the rectangle protected on all sides by soldiers who could collapse the ‘corridor’ once the majority of the army had fled. It was a tried and tested plan that had worked well on previous occasions.
Knesh had allowed for the enemy pursuing them. But by retreating into the T’Nesc Moorlands he was moving into familiar territory which he knew the Northern Army would be loathed to enter. The moorlands were comprised of treacherous mud flats and sandbanks, with quicksand and steaming hot geysers that were deadly to all who didn’t know the safe routes of passage through. The Ruddites had learned the routes over many years, through painful lessons when they entered to evade capture on numerous occasions, and many of their soldiers had been lost.
Knesh’ plan was a good plan that should have worked. All was going well, until the news came to Knesh about the Falorians. Even the mighty Thargws had been held at bay until now. But the very real danger of encirclement if the Falorians broke through, was too great to ignore. And they were advancing way too fast! Knesh knew that he had to give the order to fall back to form the ‘corridor’, though he also knew that it was far earlier than he had expected. He’d wanted to inflict far more casualties on the enemy than they had, and he knew that this development could potentially have drastic consequences for them all!
Chapter 24
Morning of 15th August – Heron Getracht Fortress - Rhuaddan
Jake stood motionless in the courtyard of Heron Getracht fortress, gazing up in awe at the mighty structures that now surrounded him. He was astounded and amazed by their size and magnificence and, now that the action was over, he couldn’t believe that his small rebel force had taken the imposing fortification so easily, with so little loss of life. He was still looking up at the tower when he was approached by Princess Zephany.
“You are a complete mystery aren’t you, Jake?” she said. “It is like… Cha! I cannot work you out. I do not mean to offend you, but… Well, you are just a boy. You are my age. You are not from this land and, from what I hear from others, your life so far has been a comfortable one in your world, free from peril or danger. And yet, I have watched you closely since we met Jake, you were as calm when you were attacked as the most experienced of our warriors. You showed no fear or hesitation. You reacted as a great warrior would have. You wield that sword of yours with the skill of Knesh. And you seem somehow to have his understanding and knowledge of warfare. How is all that possible?” she asked, in her soft voice. “It is not… Well, natural.”
Jake thought about it for a brief moment before reaching the inevitable conclusion that she was right. ‘I’d probably be asking the same questions of her, if the roles were reversed.’ he thought. He shrugged his shoulders a little as he replied.
“Listen, to tell you the truth, Princess, I don’t really know what to say to ya. I mean, a lot of what is happening, what has happened, is as much of a surprise to me as anyone else. I can’t explain it properly but, I know it isn’t me doing all these things. It’s the stones. All this fighting, the confidence I have all of a sudden. I’m not that person, really. It’s the stones, they’ve changed me. I’m doing things, saying things, that I would never have done before I opened that box. They’ve changed me completely. Actually, it’s really scary if I stop and think about it. Believe me, I’m trying my hardest not to think about it, Princess! Something happened to me when I found that box. And I really don’t know how to undo it.” answered Jake, as he stared into Zephany’s eyes. “…To be totally honest with ya, I’m not even sure I want to undo it. Aaghhh, I can’t believe I’ve just said that!” he added, amazed by his own admission.
“Chaarr. I am not sure you are giving yourself enough credit, Jake.” Zephany replied. “From what I understand, the stones can only bring out what was already inside of you. Do not be so quick to dismiss your own part in all of this. The things you have already achieved. You can gain knowledge and skill instantly, I grant you. But the way you talk to people, the way you inspire confidence in those around you, the trust that others seem to place in you so readily, despite your age... No Jake, the stones cannot give you that. All of that, is down to you!”
Jake blushed a little and smiled coyly. Princess Zephany was a bright, intelligent and confident young girl. ‘You know, I bet you would be tremendous fun to be around in different circumstances,’ he thought, ‘a real livewire. And you’my age, in another time or place?’ He quickly shook his head to dismiss the idea as soon as it entered his mind, deciding that he already had enough to worry about at the moment without complicating things further.
“Whatever your secret is, Jake, there is no doubt to all of us now that you truly are the Keeper. We all must bow to your knowledge and skill now. Even those of us of royal blood will willingly serve you, it is clearly in our best interests. You only have to command us and we will follow you. I have seen the influence you have had on my people first hand, it cannot be denied, and I believe that you will help them, help us. I make this vow to you now, Jake; my sword and bow are yours. I am glad that you have come to Rhuaddan and I truly believe that together, we will achieve great things.” Z
ephany added, smiling broadly as she leant forward to kiss him gently on the cheek.
Jake couldn’t stop himself from blushing further at the sudden show of affection from the young Princess. As she pulled away from him he allowed his mind to wonder again if there could possibly have been more to it. Affection perhaps? For the briefest of moments their eyes met and there was an uneasy, awkward silence between them. It ended when their attention was suddenly drawn to one of the stone buildings which surrounded the courtyard. Two of the young soldiers who had stayed with Arralf when the remaining defenders of the fortress had fled, emerged triumphantly from the shadows of the doorway. They were leading a group of dazed and bedraggled prisoners, all of whom were now shielding their eyes as they stepped out of the darkness and into the bright sunlight.
Within moments the scene was repeated throughout the entire fortress. Group after group appeared from the darkness of the buildings, until the courtyard was filled with prisoners of all races and creeds. They hurried as best they could to greet each other, openly displaying a wide range of differing emotions. Some were laughing, some were crying, but all of them were clearly overjoyed to be free. They were ghostly white in complexion and most of them were hungry and thirsty, having survived for so long on meagre rations and little exercise. Despite the obvious time constraints of their mission, Jake ordered his soldiers to round up whatever food they could and distribute it amongst the prisoners, whilst Zephany took four of her soldiers and gave out some water.