by Toni Cox
Jaik had mixed feelings sitting in his father’s chair. He enjoyed the power of command that came with sitting there, but at the same time he didn’t think he had earned the position yet. As Siya said, it would probably be at least another thousand years before he took over as Lord of Shadow Hall from his father.
With a sigh, he opened a drawer and took from it the agenda for the meeting. He read through it carefully, even though he had already read it three times, and made additional notes. The meeting was due to start in a few minutes and he had thought of more ways to keep the city safe, as well as other items that needed to be manufactured.
When there was a sound outside the door, he rose from behind his desk, ready to welcome the men and women he had called to the meeting.
The doors flew open and Filithrin stormed in, followed closely by Tallson and Glark.
“My Lord,” Filithrin shouted, coming to a sliding stop before the desk, “the city is under attack.”
“There are Vampyres at The Crags, as well as down The Steep,” Glark added.
Jaik stood rooted to the spot only for a moment. Given their defences in place, Vampyres should not have been able to get this close, but now was not the time to think about why it happened, only that it had. Outside, he could now hear the signal horns blaring.
“Tallson, inform all Commanders within the city. Spread the Legion to cover all entry and exit points. I want the Regiments to concentrate on The Crags and The Steep. I want the Sentinels, the Night Watch, and the Horse Guard here now.”
“Commander Willowbay is already on his way.”
“Good.”
Jaik ground his teeth and shrugged on his overcoat. He gave more orders as they ran from the chamber. Tallson separated from them as they exited the Hall of the Guardians to follow Jaik’s orders, while Jaik, Filithrin, and Glark ran on towards The Crags.
All around them, commotion reigned, as warriors and people scrambled either to safety, or into danger. Jaik drew his sword as they neared the strange rock formation just outside of the city. The screams of pain and fear reaching his ears made his blood run cold.
As they stepped onto the main path that ran along The Crags, they were joined by men wearing the colours of the Regiment. Up ahead, Jaik saw those posted as perimeter watch locked in battle with a group of ragged-looking Vampyres.
Snarling, Jaik joined the fight, stabbing a Vampyre through the neck with his first stab. Rancid blood sprayed in his face before the Vampyre crumpled to the frozen ground.
“Spread out. Don’t let them get into the city,” he yelled, fighting off two more Vampyres.
“More coming from the north,” someone shouted nearby.
“Cut them off. Don’t let them breach. No one gets past this road,” he ordered, swinging his sword.
His hot breath steamed in the cold air and sweat trickled down his back as he fought his way through the approaching Vampyres. He cringed every time a man went down beside him and fought on without respite. He did not fail to notice that these Vampyres were common fighters, and none of the Generals that usually led a charge.
Soon, more warriors came up the paths from the city and joined the fight. Gradually, they beat the Vampyres back until they either lay dead, or retreated into the forest.
“Follow them. Don’t not let them get away.” He looked around. “Filithrin, find where they came from. Take as many men as you need. Make sure these vermin do not come back into our city. Also,” he grabbed hold of Filithrin’s arm and spoke more quietly, “keep an eye out for the Generals. I am sure they sent these to distract us. Be careful.”
“Aye,” the Guard said, before giving orders of his own to the men around him and then running off into the forest surrounding The Crags.
“My Lord,” Ergon Silverspoon, second Commander of the Regiment, came to him as Jaik walked across the field, dispatching any Vampyre still alive with a quick stab to the heart, “the exits have been secured. The Steep is safe. Our men are holding the perimeter, but it looks like the city is surrounded. “
“Surrounded? How many of them are there?”
“We don’t know yet. My men will inform me as soon as they have numbers. They are shoring up our perimeter defences even as we speak.”
“Good, keep me informed. Is Commander Willowbay still at the Steep?”
“Aye, My Lord.”
Jaik nodded, grinding his teeth. “Keep this area safe, Ergon.” He put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I don’t know what happened yet, but I will find out. Get your men to clean this up.” Jaik pointed to the dead Vampyres with disgust. “I will be back as soon as I can.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Jaik wiped his bloody sword on one of the dead Vampyres and then sheathed it by his side. The smell of their rancid blood burned his nose and their brazen attack burned his soul. Although no one had expected them to attack this time of year, all Shadow Hall’s defences had been stationed and alert. The Vampyres should not have made it this close to the city. He needed to find out how.
Along the way to The Steep, he nodded his thanks to Luke, who tended an injured warrior along the path.
The city was silent now; the horns not sounding their warnings. Those who had not taken part in the skirmishes hid within their houses and he could see some of them peering out of their windows.
Anger rose within him that his city should live in fear like this. He walked faster, his coat billowing out behind him. When he met a Sentinel along the way, he ordered him to check on his mother and Siya, worried for their safety.
“Commander Willowbay,” Jaik shouted as he neared the steps leading to the watermill.
“My Lord.” The Commander dipped his head towards Jaik and sheathed his sword.
“How did you fare here?”
“We lost a few men, but none of the Vampyres made it through. The Steep is easily defended. I have, however, diverted most of my forces to cover the forest between the city and the stable grounds.”
“Commander Silverspoon says the city is surrounded.”
“I am afraid it is true. My Scouts tell of pockets of Vampyres camped all around the city, as well as out on the plains. We have no numbers yet, but from reports, there may be a thousand or more.”
“How did this happen?” Jaik asked. “The city has been under constant watch since the war. Nothing should have got to within five miles of the city.”
“We do not yet know, My Lord.” Commander Willowbay squirmed uncomfortably under Jaik’s glare.
Jaik took a deep breath; he could not let his anger out on the Commander. “Report to me as soon as you can.”
“Aye, My Lord.”
Jaik strode along the upper paths of his city, checking that every entry point was secure. By the time he got to the path that led over the rise to the stables, Glark had caught up with him. The Dwarf had blood stains on his coat and a grim expression on his face. Silently, he fell into step beside Jaik.
By evening, Jaik had inspected every entry point personally and shored up their defences where necessary.
Reports had come in throughout the day and it looked bleak indeed.
The Vampyres’ numbers were confirmed as over a thousand. Groups of fifty to a hundred camped at strategic points around the city, cutting off Shadow Hall from the outside world. The Vampyres did not attack again. They waited; Jaik wished he knew for what.
When Jaik had given orders for pigeons to be sent to Braérn and Tarron Heights, it was discovered that the roosts had been destroyed and the birds killed. When he tried to send riders, they found out the Stable Masters were dead, along with the horses in the stables at the time, and the entire stable complex was on fire.
Desperate to get word out to at least Tarron Heights, Jaik sent two Scouts on foot to find a way through the encamped Vampyres. He hoped fervently they made it.
Pacing in front of the fire in his father’s chamber, he now listened to the reports as they came in. Tallson and Glark were by his side, but Filithrin was still out in t
he forest.
“It is a siege, My Lord,” Commander Willowbay confirmed. “We have secured the watermill and traced the river as far as we could go. For now, our water remains safe to drink. We have enough food within the city to last us a while, but we will not be able to hunt.”
“A while?” Jaik asked, going red in the face. “I intend for this not to last a while. There are two thousand people in this city at the moment, of which nearly eight hundred are either warriors or able to fight. By tomorrow, I want to know where the Vampyres’ weaknesses are and where we can break through their siege. I will not allow them to keep this city prisoner.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Commander Mellowood, are there new reports from your Scouts?”
“Only those confirming the numbers, My Lord. There is a ring of Werewolves around the city and my Scouts cannot get past to get more information.”
Jaik stopped pacing, trying to calm himself. Silas rose from his chair by the fire and came to stand beside him, hand clasped behind his back, looking thoughtful.
“Commander, do you have an idea of how many Werewolves there are?” the old Elf asked.
“From what we can tell their numbers are about evenly matched.”
Jaik cussed in dwarfish under his breath.
“Commander Mellowood, from now on include the Werewolves in your calculations when you present your figures. It is one thing fighting against a thousand Vampyres, but fighting against a thousand Vampyres and their hounds is another matter altogether. Every Werewolf is as dangerous as a Vampyre and we cannot afford to discount them; do I make myself clear?”
“Aye, Lord Nightshield.”
“Very well. Resume your rounds and report back within an hour,” Silas dismissed the Commanders and waited until they had closed the doors. Only Jaik, Glark, Tallson and Silas remained in the chamber. “It is direr than we thought,” Silas finally continued. “If they decide to attack the city, we may not fare so well.”
“Then we must not let it get to that,” Jaik said, pacing again. “We cannot sit within our city and hope for them to go away. We need to make the first move, but in order for that to be successful, we need more information. For one, I would like to know what their aim is. Why are they here?”
“It could be they are here for your father,” Tallson suggested. “They know he is the king of Grildor and maybe they hope, by eliminating him, they have a better chance of winning the next war.”
Jaik shook his head. “I don’t think so. They are well organised, which leads me to believe they already know my father isn’t here.”
“Maybe they believe the city is weak during his absence and decided to seize the opportunity.”
“No. Like I said, they are organised. This was planned for a long time. They have breached our outer defences without us even being aware of it. The way they have surrounded us, I believe they intend on being here for some time. I don’t think they will take the city with the numbers they have, but if they are waiting, then chances are they are waiting for reinforcements. If that is the case, we need to act swiftly.”
“I agree with Jaik,” Silas said. “This is not some common raid. Everything they have done so far has been well thought out, otherwise they would not have made it this far. Already they have killed over fifty of our men just to get into position. They have chosen their sites with care; access to the city and easily defensible. And, they effectively cut off our communication. I worry that they will find a way to poison the river. We need to be careful.”
“Commander Willowbay is doing his best to keep the river safe,” Tallson said, “but there is no way of knowing if the Vampyres are aware of its source.”
“Let us pray they don’t,” Glark grumbled, scraping his whetstone across the blade of his axe.
The doors to the chamber opened and Filithrin entered. Jaik noticed the weary look in his eyes and the bloodstains on his clothes. He left muddy footprints with every step he took.
Jaik approached and clasped arms with him. “I am glad you return to us. What news?”
“None that is good,” Filithrin rasped. Silas handed him a flagon of water. “The woods are full of Vampyres,” Filithrin continued after he had slaked his thirst. “It is also as you say, Jaik, there are Generals commanding the lesser warriors. The entire city is surrounded, with camps a mile apart. Vampyres and their Werewolves patrol the stretches between the camps, each patrol led by a General. There are at least five Generals at each camp. I could not get total numbers, but there must be thousands of them.”
“Aye,” Jaik agreed. “From what the Scouts have told us, we assume there to be over a thousand Vampyres, plus their hounds.”
Filithrin nodded. “Some bring in crates to the camps. I was unable to find out what they contain, but the same is happening at every camp. They also have fires burning all around their camps and along their patrol lines.”
“It is the weather,” Silas said. “They do not like the cold.” He shook his head. “We underestimated them. We know they do not like the cold and assumed they would not attack during winter. But just because they do not like it does not mean they are unable to function. They knew we would not be expecting them and took full advantage.”
“I should have expected it. Or at least prepared for it,” Jaik admonished himself.
“No one could have seen this coming, Jaik,” Tallson said.
“You did prepare for it,” Silas added. “Had your defences not been in place, the city would already be overrun.”
In a fit of anger, Jaik kicked the iron poker resting against the lintel of the fireplace. It went skidding across the floor and bounced off the far wall with a clang.
“It was not good enough,” he forced the words out through his teeth, “otherwise we would not find ourselves in this situation.”
“Jaik, maybe …”
The doors banged open, interrupting Filithrin’s words.
“Pardon the interruption, My Lord,” a mud-covered Scout said breathlessly as he entered. He came to a stop before Jaik and bowed, handing him what looked like a piece of leather. “A message from the Vampyres, Sir.”
The Scout retreated to the other side of the room as Jaik unfolded the dirty-looking parchment. Stepping closer to the lantern on the wall, Jaik silently read the message penned in barely legible Grildorian script.
Surrender now. Your city is surrounded. Send note with whereabout of princess of light and you may leave city unharmed.
Jaik read the note twice more before he read it out loud. “They know Maia isn’t here. What do they want with her?”
“They know how powerful she is and what she means to us,” Silas replied. “They have been trying to kill her since after the first battle. They believe, if they eliminate her and the Prince of Darkness, they will win the war.”
Jaik shuddered at Silas’ mention of Blaid. Bah! Prince of Darkness. Who had even given him that name?
“After everything you have told me,” Jaik looked around at his three Guard and the Scout, unwilling to reveal too much, “I think there might be more to it than that. They know more than we give them credit for. I will not underestimate them again.”
Silas nodded. “Which makes it more urgent that we deal with this matter swiftly. May I assume that you will not be surrendering the city?”
Jaik did not deign to answer. Instead, he turned to his Guard.
“The Vampyres have an advantage over us during the night, as they can see as well in the dark as in the light. I want this city sealed tight; nothing goes in or out until sunrise. It is almost midnight now, so that gives us six hours to prepare. I want everybody who owns a bow, crossbow, sword, or any other kind of weapon ready an hour before dawn. We will wait for them to attack. At first light, we take the fight to them. Tallson, seek out the Commanders and bring them here at once.”
Tallson nodded and took off at a run, slinging his coat over his shoulders as he went through the doors.
“Filithrin, get the rest of the c
ity to arm themselves and be ready. Glark, inform my mother and my spouse and tell them to ready themselves.”
Both left without a word, grim looks on their faces.
“Silas, prepare a note. Tell them we will withdraw from the city in the morning, but that we do not know where my sister is.” Jaik signalled the Scout, who hurried to his side. “Wait for Lord Nightshield to pen the note, then see it gets delivered to the Vampyres.”
“Aye, My Lord.”
Silas and the Scout moved over to the desk and Silas rummaged in the drawer until he found what he was looking for. Jaik did not wait for him to finish writing the note, but took his own coat off the hook and shrugged into it as he marched out of the chamber, through the large entrance hall, and out into the blustery night.
Aaron looked around the clearing and shook his head. Everything looked the same within this forest, no matter what Rothea told him. Bending down, he squinted at the ground, trying to see any unusual marks on the hard soil.
A branch snapped behind him and he quickly stood, with his sword drawn.
“You were closer this time,” Rothea laughed.
Sheathing his sword, he grumbled, “The ground is frozen. How am I to see footprints in this?”
“It is possible, Aaron, I have proven it to you. Do not despair. Soon you will be able to track without even thinking about it.”
“Commander Goodheart,” a Scout called from across the clearing, “we are ready to move on.”
“Thank you, we will be right there.” The Scout left. “Come, Aaron, let us continue our quest. I feel we are going in circles within this forest.” She narrowed her eyes, thinking. “It is almost as if it does not want us to leave. I know we are going in the right direction and I am sure we should have reached the western edge of the forest by now. Something is happening here that I cannot explain.”
“You have said so before,” Aaron commented as he fell into step beside her and they made their way back to camp. “But, you also said this forest was dangerous and no one ever came out of it to tell any tales. So far, the forest has given us everything we needed and, as far as I am concerned, has sheltered us from the worst of the weather that seems to be reigning outside.”