The chief sat amid his council and wept, his head in his hands.
Killop felt a nudge at his elbow. He turned to see Conal had arrived, out of breath again.
‘What did I miss?’ he croaked.
‘Run back to the squad,’ Killop whispered to the young warrior. ‘Tell them two things. First, to take the afternoon off and get themselves drunk. And second, to make sure they’re all packed up and ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning.’
The young warrior ran off.
He would tell the squad where they were going in the morning. Let them have one more night believing that their villages were still standing, and their families safe.
Chapter 22
Crash Site
Northern Mountains, Kell – 26th Day, First Third Summer 503
A bitter wind howled across the face of the mountain, as the three Kell stood on top of the ridge, gazing out southwards towards the way they had come.
‘It’s a wee bit blowy,’ Keira shouted, as the gale threatened to hurl them into the abyss.
‘This is the highest point of the path,’ Klannit yelled. ‘It’s one of the only places where you can see Northern and Southern Kell at the same time.’
Killop and his sister followed Klannit’s pointed finger, first to the north, then to the south. In both directions lowlands could be discerned in the distance, narrow smudges between the unforgiving mountains and the unknowable ocean. That was Kell, a thin ribbon of life caught between two great and terrible forces of nature.
‘Your home,’ Klannit shouted, ‘don’t ever forget it.’
He turned on his feet and stalked off, head held low against the cutting wind. Keira looked at Killop, and shrugged. They followed him.
While the others had been crossing the ridge, Klannit had held the twins back, to show them the view, and tell them what it meant. Their homeland. One half occupied, the other under attack. The squad had heard about the Rahain invasion of Southern Kell in the evening before they had departed, while they had been relaxing and getting drunk. Pyre knew how it had got out, but the news that twenty thousand lizards were marching through their homesteads and farms had spread through the camp in an instant. The squad were enraged, and became even more angry when Killop admitted he had known, but hadn’t told them. He had tried to explain that he had wanted them to have a last night without the bitter knowledge that their homes and families were threatened, but they refused to accept that as adequate, and had made their feelings known. Kallie in particular had been scathing. Keira had come out of it squeaky clean, as usual. She had been busy all evening with Clewydd, and hadn’t appeared until the squad had already found out the news. She had taken their side, of course. It had been a long night, and many angry words had been spoken.
He knew they were just passing their anger onto him. Their true fury was held for the Rahain, and he had just happened to give them an excuse to vent their rage. By the next morning, despite horrendous hangovers and very little sleep, they were all up and ready to leave on time. They had met with the chief’s party, and Klannit’s half squad, and departed the fortified camp at dawn.
They were now enduring the fifth day of their walk through the mountains to deliver the chief to safety. After the torturous climb of the previous day, they had reached the summit of the ridge that morning, and Killop was hopeful the path would soon start to lead down again. The great mountain range that split Kell in two jutted up and out to their left. Their path was now veering to the north-west, following the side of the range into a valley between the mountains. Another day or so, Klannit had said, and they would be halfway.
Keira paused as she scanned the new direction their path was taking.
‘Klannit,’ she cried. The older man stopped and turned.
‘This path we’re on,’ she said, ‘does it meet another one coming from the north-east beyond that patch of woods ahead?’
‘Aye,’ he said.
‘Fuck. Wee brother, I think I know where we’re going.’
‘Where?’
‘The path I’m talking about comes from where I was trained by Careen. It joins this path at the woods down there.’
‘Aye, so?’
‘Well, ya numpty,’ she said, ‘where did I fucking arrive after I came back from training?’
‘Home? Does this turn into the old goatherds’ way north of the village?’
‘The very same.’ She grimaced. ‘Shit. Wonder if ma and da are there?’
‘I was hoping maybe Klarid.’
She laughed. ‘Well, if they are there, at least we’ll be able to warn them to get their arses up the mountains until the lizards have fucked off.’
They started walking again.
She smirked. ‘The burdface speaking to ye yet?’
‘Aye, just about. She’s not made it easy.’
‘Good,’ she said. ‘I’m liking her more and more. Ye need to be kept on a short leash, wee brother. I cannae be looking after ye all the time.’
‘I’m getting a bit fed up with it, to be honest.’
‘It was you that fucked up, ye cannae dump her because she’s pissed off. And anyway, ye need to ask yourself, why is she so pissed off? It’s because she’s disappointed in ye, and she’s disappointed because she thinks so much of ye. Like, the more pissed off she is, the more she likes ye. Anyway, that’s my guess, take it or fucking leave it.’
‘Really, that’s your advice?’
Keira shrugged and smiled.
‘What about Calum?’ he asked.
‘What about him?’
‘You still like him?’
‘Well, I wouldnae chuck him out of bed if he happened to wander into it by mistake, but I’m not chasing him or anything. That’s all dead in the past, wee brother, not going back there. Anyway, that wee Kelly and him have been spending a lot of time together, so even if I hadn’t moved on, he obviously has. I’m not jealous, but Kelly? Thinks she’s hard now she’s got her torn face, but she’s about as hard as my first shite.’
Up ahead, they saw the rest of the party slow and come to a halt in the lee of a cliff.
‘Fuck me,’ Keira said, ‘is it noon already?’
The twins gazed upwards, but were unable to locate the position of the sun through the thick, grey clouds. They reached the rest of the party, who were preparing for their midday stop. The donkeys were being watered, and tied to a cluster of nearby trees. Packs were unloaded, and a fire made.
Keira went off to find the chief, while Killop turned towards his half-squad. They were grouped around one side of the fire. Conal and Clara were unpacking their plates and mugs, and had put milk and water on to heat. Clara still had her crutch, and Killop wasn’t certain it had been a good idea to let her come along. Still, she had insisted that she could move as fast as a donkey, and in the enflamed atmosphere of the camp in the evening before they left, he could hardly have refused her.
Kelly and Calum sat together, talking in whispers. Kylon was sharpening his sword.
He turned, and saw Kallie in front of him. She gestured, and they walked away from the fire, until they were out of sight of the camp.
‘Where have you been?’ she said.
‘Walking with Keira and Klannit,’ he replied. ‘He wanted to show us the view.’
‘He say anything interesting?’
‘Look,’ he said, a slight edge in his voice, ‘you can trust me to tell you anything important, but I’m not going to repeat every conversation for you.’
‘That’s not what I meant. Why must you make it so difficult?’
‘Me make it difficult? You should take a look at yourself, hen.’
‘Don’t call me that. I’m not your hen.’ She sighed. ‘You’ve got to start acting like a leader again. The squad are falling apart while you mope about with your head up your arse, traipsing around after your sister and avoiding us.’
As she leant closer, a shout came from the party.
‘Hey, Killop,’ Keira yelled, ‘get yer knac
kers back over here.’
Killop and Kallie returned to where the rest of the group were sitting round the fire, doling out their midday rations.
‘Scout’s back,’ Keira said to him. ‘Says there’s something we need to see on the road ahead. Wouldnae say what. Quite an excitable fucker.’
He nodded in Kallie’s direction.
‘Alright,’ Keira said. ‘Klannit’s taking a couple frae his squad, so I don’t see why the fuck not. Come on then.’ She turned and strode off to where the chief was standing. Killop and Kallie looked at each other, and followed.
A dozen detached themselves from the main group, and the scout guided them down the path. They wound down by the side of a swift burn, and after following it for ten minutes they arrived in a sunken dell, sheltered from the wind, with a clump of trees near the middle. To the left rose steep cliffs, jutting upwards to form a spur of the main range of the mountains. The scout walked over to the centre of the dell, where the other scout was waiting.
‘Well, Calman?’ Klannit said, as they approached the scouts. ‘What are we here to see?’
‘Just over here, boss,’ the young man said. ‘Other side of the trees.’
The two scouts led them through the glade. It was thick with the life of summer. Birds sang in the branches, squirrels watched them pass, and insects buzzed around their faces, nipping and biting. Despite the altitude, it felt humid in the dell. They came to a clearing that opened onto the cliffside, and the scouts pointed in unison.
Smashed against the side of the cliff was a large wooden structure, or something that had been a structure. It was badly damaged, and great timbers were strewn down the rock face, some pieces lying not ten paces from where they stood. Much of the wood was attached to metal frames and beams, now twisted and buckled. Rahain bodies littered the ground, some tangled up in the wooden and steel structure, while others lay forty yards away as if they had been thrown.
The entire place stank of death and decay, and the humidity of the dell added to the suffocating atmosphere.
The chief stepped forwards, Klannit close by.
‘What in Pyre’s name is it?’ the chief asked.
No one replied.
‘Did you touch anything?’ Klannit asked the scouts.
‘No, boss,’ said Kalma, the young female scout.
Keira joined them at the front. ‘Alright if we take a closer look?’
The chief nodded.
Keira turned, and beckoned to Killop and Kallie.
‘Come on,’ she said.
The group spread out and picked their way through the smashed wooden beams and sections of twisted metal. Kallie and Killop went to where the bodies of three lizards lay prone on the grass. They seemed to have spilled out from a tube-like structure that perched on the rock face a few yards above them.
Kallie went down to one knee and prodded the first body with a stick.
‘Dead a half third,’ she said. ‘Broken neck.’
The bodies were wearing the standard dun-coloured Rahain army uniform, with thin leathers and skullcaps, and to Kell eyes they looked almost indistinguishable. Their scaly skin had dulled to a grey and mottled green as they rotted in the dell, their bodies crawling with insect life.
‘How can ye handle the smell?’ Killop asked, standing back, one hand covering his nose and mouth.
‘Seen worse in my da’s traps over the years,’ she said, glancing up at him. ‘Ye get used to it.’
She gazed back down at the scene.
‘No signs of any fight,’ she said. She moved to the two other bodies, her eyes scanning them. ‘These two were also killed when they hit the ground.’
She stood, and craned her neck upwards towards the tube-like structure overhanging the rock. ‘They fell from there,’ she said. ‘Shall we take a look?’
Before he could nod, she had raced to the cliff face and scaled the three yards of rock to the small natural platform where the structure sat.
‘You move like a mountain cat,’ he laughed, and started to climb. He had never been a great climber, his upper body strength cancelled out by his size and weight, and he grunted and strained his way to the top, while Kallie waited.
He pulled himself up, rolling over the edge in an untidy flailing of arms and legs, and glanced up to see Kallie shaking her head at him in amusement.
‘Lowlanders,’ she smirked. ‘Soft.’
‘Goatshagger,’ he muttered back, brushing the moss from his green leathers and standing up. From his position he could see others in their party rooting through the wreckage below.
They edged towards the structure. It was about three paces long, and almost as wide. It had been constructed from horizontal wooden beams, braced with thin steel ribs, formed into a tube. The outer edge made a jagged ring, where the beams had been ripped and torn. The other end was embedded into the soft moss on the left side of the cliff face. Kallie raised her hand, and pushed the nearest wooden beam. It didn’t move.
She glanced over her shoulder at him and gave a gentle shrug. The tube overhung the lip of the platform by a foot, so she swung herself out, her left hand gripping one of the steel ribs, and leapt into the structure.
Kallie disappeared out of sight, inside the wooden tube. Killop swore. He had no choice but to follow. He gripped the steel rib, and jumped out, swinging round. As he leapt, the entire tube structure shifted a foot to the right. He landed with a thud onto the interior planks of the tube, and held his breath. The tube shifted again, juddering, then stilled.
‘Fucksake, Killop you great bear,’ Kallie said, her eyes wide. ‘Thought we were going over the edge.’
He frowned and got to his feet.
They had a look round the interior. On each side were long benches, and the bottom of the tube had been floored so it ran flat. ‘Look here,’ Killop said. There was a series of hinged wooden slats running along the sides of the tube, each opened from within. He slipped the catch on one, and it fell downwards, hinged at the bottom. ‘Crossbow slot?’ She nodded.
The floor was littered with debris. Rahain corpses lay bunched and fallen over the benches, some impaled on splintered beams, others lying twisted, their bones shattered.
He picked up a crossbow. It was the most sophisticated piece of technology he had ever handled, and he felt a grudging respect for the culture that could fashion such a weapon.
‘There are a lot of these lying around,’ he said. ‘Think the squad would like to learn a new hobby?’
‘I could see Clara sitting on the back of a donkey with one,’ she said, ‘but I think I’ll stick to the longbow.’
‘Aye, you Kelly and Calum keep to your longbows, but I reckon it’d be handy having the other three carrying one of these each. Might take one myself, if I can work out how to use it.’ The crossbow was attached to a strap, and he slung it over his shoulder.
They heard shouting from outside, so they edged their way to the end of the tube and peered out.
‘Looks like we’re being called back,’ Kallie said.
‘You first,’ Killop said, looking over the side of the cliff. ‘I’ll meet you down there.’
‘Be careful, bear,’ she said, kissing him. She tip-toed to the edge, and swung herself back round to the rocky platform. Moments later he heard her call from the ground.
He swallowed hard, and moved to the edge of the tube, gripping the steel rib in his right hand. Hugging the ripped and splintered rim, he hauled himself out, so that he was hanging over the side.
‘What the fuck is that donkey doing up there?’ he heard Keira laugh from below. ‘Hoy, Killop, stop fannying about and get down here.’
He ignored her, sweating, and pulled himself round, splinters biting into his hands. He landed onto the platform, crawled to the edge of the rock face and lowered himself down, cutting his wrist on a sharp stone.
He made it to the bottom, to a sarcastic round of applause from his sister, Kallie standing next to her trying not to laugh.
He scowled at
them.
‘Come on,’ Keira said, leading them through the glade. Returning to the dell, they saw that the rest of their party had arrived, the scouts having been sent to summon them. Conversations buzzed, as the Kell tried to make sense of what they had seen. Small groups were heading back and forth through the glade to take a look, and Killop could see a few crossbows being handed around and examined.
They caught sight of the rest of their half-squad, and went over to them. He unslung the bow.
‘May I?’ said Kylon, appearing at his side.
‘Aye,’ Killop said, handing it over.
‘Where did you get it?’ Conal asked.
Killop frowned. ‘Kallie will show you where, I’m not climbing up there again. Was thinking about getting you lot kitted out with one each. Except you three, of course,’ he said to his longbow team before they could object. He heard the sound of wood and metal clicking and slotting, and he turned to see Kylon holding the crossbow in his left hand, while the fingers on his right felt their way over the controls.
‘What do you think?’ Killop said.
Saying nothing, Kylon started walking to the edge of the party. He stopped near the burn, where the land opened up down towards the valley. The rest of the squad ambled after him. Kylon moved the stock of the crossbow to his right shoulder, and sighted along its length. By now, a few of the others had noticed what he was doing, and a small audience gathered. He ignored them, concentrating on the weapon in his arms.
‘Ware!’ he shouted. His left arm remained steady, holding the base of the bow and keeping it level. His right hand pulled the trigger release, and the first bolt shot out. He moved his right hand up, pulling the bowstring lever to the vertical, slotting it back into position, then fired again. There were only four seconds between the two shots. The crowd stood awestruck as Kylon shot until he had emptied the box that was fitted to the underside of the bow. Twenty bolts in under a minute and a half.
‘Pyre’s tits!’ said Keira, looking impressed for once.
‘How the fuck did you manage that?’ Killop asked Kylon, as he lowered the bow. ‘I’ve seen village wise men unable to work out how to get it to reload.’
The Magelands Origins Page 30