The Keeper of the Stones

by M J Webb

  “Wait! One thing more.” he said to them all, but staring straight into the eyes of the young Princess. “Good Luck. And be careful out there!”

  Chapter 28

  15th August – Rebel Army retreat to the T’Nesc Moorlands - Rhuaddan

  “Whoa!!! Boy that was close!” shouted a massively relieved Ben over the King’s shoulder. “Ha ha... I think my tail’s singed.”

  “Tail? What tail?” answered Artrex, turning his head slightly but maintaining control of his galloping horse as they raced towards the Ipson River and the first crossing point at Eartal bridge.

  “Humph, never mind,” replied Ben, “how far’s the river?”

  “Not far. But we will have to cross on foot, so we have to hurry. Eartal bridge is small and old, it was only supposed to be a temporary measure but it was never replaced. It will not hold much weight.” replied Artrex. “The second crossing at Fuaq bridge will be much quicker, it is strong and sturdy.”

  Artrex and Ben were in the final group of rebel horsemen racing away from the forest. They had remained at the rear of the column to ensure as many of their soldiers as possible were able to flee from Erriard safely. Sawdon’s battleplan for the Northern Army that day had not allowed for the escape of the rebels through the forest and to the west. He’d been convinced that the deployment of the Dzorag hunters in the second wave of soldiers (which was supposed to closely follow the first) would overrun the rebels and therefore prevent them from escaping. But the second wave had advanced too late, and the closest soldiers to the retreating rebels now were footsoldiers, Thargws and Falorians who had no chance of pursuing Artrex and his army. Unbeknown to Artrex and Ben, they had all ended their chase and were now waiting impatiently in Erriard forest for the arrival of the Dzorag Hunters, who would take up the pursuit.

  It didn’t take long to reach Eartal bridge. King Artrex and Ben arrived there to see a long line of rebel soldiers, all of them dismounted and waiting patiently to cross. There was no panic amongst the rebels, most were experienced campaigners who had fought many battles. The old wooden bridge creaked and moaned loudly as horses and men passed over it, protesting at the weight it was being asked to bear. The fast-flowing, icy waters below were lapping against some the many jagged rock formations that littered this stretch of river.

  Artrex dismounted his horse and helped a grateful Ben down onto the floor. He looked back anxiously toward the forest, fully expecting to see the telltale signs of enemy horsesoldiers behind them, but he was amazed to find that he could see nothing but fields and trees.

  “Where are they?” the King asked. “They have surely not broken off the chase? They have us where they want us. We are at their mercy. We must cross this bridge as quickly as possible, if we are caught in the open like this it will be a bloodbath.”

  “I can’t see any sign of ‘em.” answered Ben, straining his eyes to look at the distant horizon and hardly daring to believe what he was saying. “No dust or anything. Where are they? What does it mean?”

  “Rrrr… It can mean only one thing, Ben.” answered Artrex. “Vantrax did not send in his Dzorag. They are the only large body of horsesoldiers in the Northern Army as far as I know. Or… He did, but he sent them in too late? Srrr… He would not have used his Personal Guard. Perhaps he was a little too overconfident? Too sure of destroying us? He probably did not expect us to escape. Perhaps that’s it, he was too confident of victory? Hagghh, no matter, whatever the reason, it is to our advantage and I will take it gratefully.”

  Artrex immediately despatched two of his most able soldiers to oversee the crossing of the bridge, before taking out the water carrier which was attached to his horse’s saddle. He pulled out the wooden plug from the end and offered it to Ben. The young boy accepted it gladly and swallowed several large gulps in an attempt to quench his terrible thirst. When he’d finished drinking, he handed it back to the King.

  “Phew! I needed that. I never knew water could taste so sweet.” Ben said, as he turned once again to check the horizon. “Still no sign of their soldiers. Somebody loves us. I wonder what’s happened to Knesh?” he asked sadly.

  The King stopped drinking, he looked as though he was deep in thought and he didn’t respond.

  “He never stood a chance, did he?” asked Ben, determined to discuss his friend’s fate despite the warrior’s silence. Artrex carefully replaced the plug in his water carrier and fastened it onto his horse’s saddle, then he looked straight at the youngster.

  “No, Ben. I’m afraid not. His was an impossible task, the enemy were too many. But Knesh knew that when he made his decision, he was an experienced warrior. We have to assume that he is dead, his soldiers too. It grieves me to say it. It hurts me more than I have ever hurt before. But their sacrifice will not have been in vain, if we make it to the T’Nesc Moorlands. We will be able to avoid capture in there I am sure, we have done so many times before. I am sorry, I know I should, but I cannot think of Knesh right now. I am a King, I do not have that luxury. I have my people to consider. And you should not think of him either. There will be a time to grieve, but that time is not now. Now, we have to concentrate on meeting up with Jake and look to the welfare of our army. Hopefully, Jake will have by now released many of Heron Getracht’s prisoners. Maybe we have succeeded in rekindling the fight? A fight that, if I am honest, had lost its sense of direction and purpose. I tell you this Ben, my friend; if Queen Bressial is among the prisoners we have freed, then we have a chance of uniting the whole of Nadjan! They will rise once more against the tyrant, I am sure of it. We will have the opportunity to raise a force that will surpass all the great armies of old. We can then join with our southern allies, just as Jake proposed. We can hopefully find the wizard who can restore those stones and with them, we will be victorious. Together Ben, we will find a way to defeat my brother, once and for all. Despite his power, his sorcery. Despite his armies and his wealth, we can free my people and end this war!!!

  All of this I swear is possible now. But, it is only possible because of you, Jake and those stones. You have set us on this path. But it will only be achieved because of the sacrifice made here at Erriard forest by my friend Knesh, and the brave soldiers of the Ruddite Rebellion who followed him. Knesh knew what he was doing. He believed passionately in all that I have said. And he believed in you and Jake. Enough to give his life for us. That is why we must not think of him now, not until the time is right. We must let nothing distract us from this fight! He would want it no other way.” the King declared emotionally.

  Artrex wiped away the tears from his eyes as he finished speaking. He was clearly embarrassed at his impromptu display of raw emotion. But Ben understood completely. He knew exactly how Artrex was feeling, and he was crying himself as he replied.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. You’re right, I won’t mention it again.” he stated quietly. He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes before looking at the river and speaking again.

  “Well, that bridge don’t look too good to me.” he said, as he pointed toward the rickety structure that spanned the water.

  “It will hold.” replied Artrex firmly.

  “No, you’re missing my point. If we are followed… Well, a few well placed ropes around its supports and…”

  “Krarr… Yes! Good. Ha, when did you become a Gerada?” Artrex asked, surprised at the suggestion coming from a young boy who was not used to warfare.

  “Well, you can’t hang around Knesh for a whole night, without some of it rubbing off on ya.” Ben answered, half joking, but with a sorrow that was evident and not lost on the King. Artrex forced a smile to his own lips, then he immediately called two more of his soldiers over to him and gave them orders to prepare the bridge to be destroyed on his command.

  Around an hour later, the rebel force had almost completed the river crossing. The last of the horsemen were waiting patiently to cross the bridge when Ben suddenly shouted to say that he’d spotted a cloud of dust on the distant horizon to the east. Artrex was not f
ar away, he was busy shouting commands to his men and checking on their welfare, but as soon as he heard Ben’s shout he stopped what he was doing and raced to his side. The King raised his hands to his eyes, he could see clearly that the dust cloud was growing so he shouted to his men, ordering them to quicken their pace. Then he looked back towards the cloud of dust.

  “Dzorag.” he said calmly. “It must be. But we are nearly finished here, we should be safe now, I have soldiers ready on the ropes on the other side of the bridge. There!” he shouted, pointg at a group of small black dots that had just appeared on the plain in the distance.

  Dot after dot continued to appear until it was clear that the entire Dzorag contingent of the Northern Army had pursued them. Artrex glanced over at the bridge, the last of his soldiers was just crossing, he mounted his horse quickly and then extended a helping hand down to Ben, who took it gratefully and swung himself up onto the rear of the horse.

  They raced across the bridge at full speed, the old wooden panels of the structure cracking and splitting under their weight. Once on the far side, Artrex shouted his commands loudly to his awaiting soldiers and they began trying to collapse it. Three horsemen on either side of the bridge kicked their horses hard. The ropes that were tied to them lifted and tensed under the strain, the old wooden bridge creaked and moaned loudly. For a brief moment, it seemed as though it would resist the forces ranged against it, as if defiantly fighting for life.

  The Dzorag were getting closer. They were now not far from the eastern end of the bridge. The watching rebels on the other side of the river looked on anxiously. But suddenly, one of the posts that supported the western end of the bridge collapsed. It was followed almost immediately by a second post, and then a third. The whole western side of the bridge fell loudly into the white, swirling waters below. The eastern end remained in tact for a few seconds before it too descended into the raging torrent, to a chorus of loud cheers from the mightily relieved rebels.

  Eartal bridge was destroyed. The old wooden structure was gone. And with it, any chance of the Northern Army capturing the rebels on this day. The Dzorag hunters would now have to find another place to cross the fast flowing Ipson River if they were to continue their pursuit of Artrex and his men. That meant a major detour south, and it ensured that the rebels would be able to reach the safety of the T’Nesc Moorlands.

  Artrex stared thoughtfully at the furious Dzorag soldiers on the other side of the river, astonished once again by his good fortune. ‘There has to be some mysterious power at work here. Some being aiding us in our fight,’ he thought, ‘a God or something. I have lost a valued friend and commander, along with many proven warriors, the best of my army perhaps. But the situation could have been much, much worse. If it was not for Ben? Kuh... We owe our lives to a young boy from a far away land, a boy with no special powers, or experience of war. A boy who, despite his obvious fear, has proven to be as effective and trustworthy as any of my warriors.’ The King chuckled to himself as he turned the horse to lead his men away. Then he spoke softly over his shoulder to his companion.

  “Thank you, Ben. I am grateful to you for your idea of collapsing the bridge. I may have thought of it, but you actually did. You informed me just in time, and I am in your debt for that. You have saved my army and you have proved your worth to us Ben, in your own right. Knesh would have been proud of you.”

  Ben didn’t respond. He heard the words and accepted the King’s praise. But the mention of Knesh had brought another lump to his throat, making it hard for him to speak. He wiped his tears on his sleeve and then smiled to himself as he imagined what the warrior would have made of his actions, and what he would have said.

  Chapter 29

  Afternoon of 15th August – Erriard Forest - Rhuaddan

  Sawdon was aching all over. Every muscle in his body throbbed as he recovered from the exertions of the day. He tried his hardest to conceal it from the Thargws and Falorians around him, most of whom were still wildly celebrating their hard fought victory, for he knew it would be seen as weakness in their eyes. And Sawdon’s pride refused to let that happen. The battle in the forest and the fight with Knesh had taken a great toll on the mighty warrior. He was physically exhausted and mentally tired, despite the euphoria he felt at having fought and won a battle. He strode slowly through the massed crowds of soldiers who surrounded him as he walked, taking their plaudits and congratulations and holding his blood drenched sword high in the air to accept their adulation.

  The battle of Erriard forest had been won. There could be no doubting that fact. King Artrex’ rebels had been routed and forced to retreat. Their illustrious commander and master tactician had been killed, along with a great number of their best warriors. The Ruddite Rebellion had been dealt a major blow. But, the battle had been won at a tremendous cost in lives. Thousands of Northern Army dead and wounded lay strewn across the forest floor, and a great number of them were Thargws. Sawdon saw their bodies as he walked through the ranks of celebrating survivors and his mood began to change from one of exhilaration to anger. Runners from all areas of the forest began to arrive and reported to him one by one. He learned quickly, to his utter dismay, that the main prizes, King Artrex, Ben and the stones, had escaped. The soldiers who came closest to capturing the King and closing the corridor, told of seeing them gallop away behind the majority of the rebel horsesoldiers, with Ben carrying what looked like a rebel bag across his shoulder. Sawdon seethed with anger as he realised just how close they had come to achieving their goals.

  The Thargw Gerada had been in the frontline, unable to see or control the battle. So he was finding it hard now to piece together exactly what hadhappened. ‘Why was the Rebel Army allowed to escape? Why did the second wave of soldiers take so long to arrive? Why had his plans not been followed? And where were the Dzorag?’ the enraged warrior asked himself.

  “Shaargh!” he suddenly roared violently in rage. “Those furthest forward are on foot! They cannot pursue the rebels. We have to keep up the chase!”

  The soldiers around him fell silent at hearing his roar. He turned to look at a young Thargw to his left. “You!” he bellowed, “go and find the Dzorag, now! Tell them exactly where the rebels were last seen, they are to hunt them down with all speed and every soldier they have. The enemy will head for the T’Nesc Moorlands. They have to be stopped before they reach them. The Dzorag are to kill them all. Do I make myself clear?” he shouted fiercely at the petrified youngster.

  “Y-y-yes, Lord Sawdon.” replied the young Thargw nervously, before racing away swiftly to find the Dzorag leaders.

  * * *

  Vantrax was still on the ridge overlooking the battlefield. He’d taken a lot longer to recover from the use of the Lichtus this time, his strength had been seriously drained and for some considerable period he found himself paralysed, unable to speak or move. He was being tended to by Strymos and the soldiers of his Personal Guard, in the absence of his manservant, Nytig. The sounds of battle had long since abated and it seemed to those on the ridge that a victory must surely have been won. But they had no way of knowing for certain what had happened as yet, and the King’s vision had clearly shown the rebel leader and Ben galloping away to freedom. Vantrax’ strength gradually returned and he finally felt able to stand. He reached for Strymos’ helping hand and rose shakily to his feet.

  “Srr... Are you sure you should be standing sire? Perhaps you should…”

  “Ra! Stop your fussing, Strymos! You sound like an old woman.” interrupted Vantrax sharply, irritated at finding himself in such a weakened state. He looked down the ridge at the bodies of the three rebel soldiers who had been killed by his Guard. Then he glanced at the three small piles of ash that lay on the slope of the ridge, the closest only metres away from where he stood, all that remained of the three attackers he’d incinerated with the Lichtus, and who had come so desperately close to killing him.

  “That was too close, Strymos. We must never allow the rebels to get that close agai
n.” he stated emphatically.

  “No sire.” replied the Gerada in agreement.

  Vantrax gazed across the plains at the vast expanse of trees in the distance. “What news have we from the forest?”

  “A victory sire!” replied Strymos happily. “We have killed many rebels, including their leader.”

  “My brother?” interrupted Vantrax amazed. “But, I saw him, in the vision…”

  “Srrrr… No, my Lord,” replied Strymos hesitantly, anticipating the fury that might follow his next statement, “I meant, Knesh Corian, their Gerada and…”

  “Raaaargh!!! This is no victory, Strymos!” shouted Vantrax furiously, his face turning red with rage. “You fool! You incompetool! Don’t you see? While my brother lives, there will always be a challenge to my rule. There will always be someone for my enemies to rally behind. Do you not understand? He has to die! Raaargh, this is a mess. How did this happen, Strymos? Why were they allowed to escape?” he shouted angrily.

  “I, srrr… It would seem that the second wave of attacking soldiers were too slow in engaging with the enemy. They attacked too late, just as I stated. We delayed too long, sire.” answered Strymos, suddenly sensing a chance to profit from the situation and hoping to restore his own standing with the King. “Sawdon was not able to project his influence onto the battle from where he was. Geradas have to command. He should not have been at the front. From our position on this ridge we were unable to see what was happening. The whole plan was ill-conceived if you ask me.”