They kept their heads down as the Rahain approached. In the lead were two dozen with crossbows, marching along the narrow path two abreast. Behind them were six laden wagons, each pulled by oxen, with guards flanking their sides. At the rear came a dozen more soldiers, crossbows slung over their shoulders.
The Kell on the hillside let the caravan pass below them, and Killop waited until the two lead wagons were over the burn, and the third was starting to cross.
The moment the cart’s wheels touched the wooden bridge, Killop raised his signal stick.
There were cries as Rahain soldiers and drivers were struck by bolts flying from among the boulders. The oxen took a few shots to their shoulders and necks, and one of them panicked and put a hoof over the edge of the bridge, twisting the wagon. It toppled onto its side, and the hapless ox fell into the freezing waters of the river.
With the bridge blocked, Killop raised a second signal stick, with a differently coloured ribbon. As the lead Rahain soldiers were peering among the boulders in the burn, they started to be hit from above by the longbow crew. Kylon’s crossbow team turned to focus their attention on them, and soon the vanguard was being cut to shreds.
Killop led the others, and they crept down the steep hillside towards the rear of the Rahain line. They kept a drystane dyke to their left and once they had reached the path, he could see the dozen in the rearguard ten paces ahead of him, looking about. They knew something was going on up ahead, but due to the elevation of the path, they couldn’t see what had happened.
Killop nodded to the others crouching behind him. They slung on their shields and unsheathed their swords.
Without making a noise, Killop pulled himself up and rushed towards the Rahain soldiers, the others racing after him. He reached them before they could turn, and killed two with a powerful sideways stroke. To his right, Kyleen was swinging away with equal effect, and he could hear Keira grunting to his left. He saw fear in the eyes of the Rahain soldiers, as they struggled to unsling their crossbows, or tried to run away, but he was merciless, and the four Kell and one Lach didn’t stop until they had butchered them all.
When the last of the rearguard fell to Killop’s sword, he gestured to Keira to go up the left side of the wagons ahead, and he sprinted up the side closest to the burn, with Kyleen just behind. He reached the front of the rearmost wagon, pulled the Rahain driver from his seat with his left hand, and thrust his sword through the man’s chest as he fell towards him.
They killed the remaining drivers, and a couple of soldiers they found hiding under a wagon. They reached the bridge, and saw that the skirmish was over. Kylon and his team were up on the grassy sward on the other side of the burn, rooting among the Rahain bodies, and dispatching the injured. Calum was leading his longbows down from the hillside opposite, and Killop could see Kallie talking to Kelly on the way down. He smiled. She hadn’t been in any grave danger during the engagement, but who knew where an unlucky crossbow bolt could fly.
Keira leapt up onto the toppled wagon. ‘Job done, lads and lassies.’
The squad gathered round. ‘Another supply convoy that won’t be reaching our scaly friends in Meadowhall,’ she said. ‘Look through the wagons and take anything you can carry. Anybody hurt?’
‘Aye,’ Calum said. ‘Kalma twisted her ankle on the way down.’
Keira shook her head. ‘Make sure the silly cow gets extra food, we need her back on her feet soon. Rest of the longbows, you help her get back to camp.’
The longbows groaned.
There was a thrum, and a yell of pain. Killop looked for the source of the noise and saw Leckie writhing on the ground, a thick crossbow bolt protruding from the back of his left calf.
‘Pyre’s sake,’ Kylon cried, kneeling by Leckie. ‘Wee bastard’s only gone and shot himself.’
He unbuckled the crossbow from the young Lach’s back. ‘Must have slung it over his shoulder while loaded,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Help me hold him.’
They gathered round, and Conal, Clara and Koreen restrained Leckie. Lacey reached out a hand, and placed it over his mouth, quietening her brother’s screams of agony. Kylon examined the wound. He placed his boot against the back of Leckie’s left knee, and gripped onto the shaft of the bolt. He tensed himself, then yanked the bolt clean out of the lad’s leg. A spurt of blood followed, spattering over Kylon’s green leathers. Leckie screamed, then fainted.
‘Rig up a stretcher,’ Keira said. ‘We’ll carry mince-for-brains back to camp.’ She turned to Lacey. ‘Fetch the lantern. It’s time to torch the wagons.’
Four days later, Leckie died.
They had done what they could, fed him and kept him wrapped up, but his fever raged, and during the night his heart gave out and stopped. They found a quiet spot a couple of miles from their camp and bore him there on the same stretcher upon which they had carried him in.
‘Sorry, Lacey,’ Killop said to the dead lad’s sister, who was sitting on the grass crying with Clara’s arm over her shoulder. He nodded to Calum. They picked up the blanket enclosing the body and laid it in the grave they had prepared. They shovelled the earth back in, and stacked stones into a cairn. A cold wind blew from the south along the ravine where they stood while Kylon said a few words.
‘If it weren’t for this war,’ he began. ‘Leckie would be just a boy in his village, playing with his friends, and chasing girls, far from any battlefield, where he didn’t belong. But the Rahain came, and now we mind his name, for he was one of us.’
They keened, and mourned, then returned to their camp, aching from the cold wind.
The following morning at breakfast, as Killop and Keira were sitting by the ring of tents planning their next raid, Conal arrived.
‘Just back from Meadowhall, mage,’ he said. ‘Lots of goings-on this dawn. Think they might finally be ready to move out.’
‘About fucking time,’ Keira said. ‘Getting bored of attacking wagons.’
Killop looked around at the rough camp where they had been based for nearly a third. It felt almost like home, and the squad, his family. He was missing poor wee Leckie’s bumbling, which had caused them much amusement at mealtimes. Without him there, they had all mucked in to get breakfast prepared, though nobody mentioned the reason why. Kylon was right. He hadn’t belonged on the battlefield. He looked around at the rest of his squad. Conal, Calman and Kalma weren’t too far off Leckie’s age, and Lacey was just ten minutes older. So many of them, barely out of childhood, who were now witnessing and delivering death without emotion. He remembered how he had killed Rahain soldiers who were injured or who had surrendered. Remembered the look in their alien eyes as he ended their lives. In Northern Kell at the start of the war, he had flinched at such things, but now it hardly registered on his consciousness. Leckie was dead. How did he feel? Did he feel?
‘Pack up everything,’ he said. ‘We’re moving out.’
By midday they had dismantled the camp, and hauled themselves up two steep miles of track to a ridge on the east side of the valley overlooking Meadowhall. It had been Kallie’s idea to base themselves so close to the enemy, and she had been right. On several occasions they had seen battalions of Rahain soldiers march out to search neighbouring valleys for the band of Kell raiders, but they had never thought to look on their own doorstep.
They kept their heads down, and watched.
On the valley floor where the battle had been fought, the last of the bodies had been dragged away. The full pits were covered over with rocks and soil, and made a series of low mounds stretching out before the town.
The gates of Meadowhall were open, and out of them were marching columns of Rahain soldiers. They were assembling on the open space to the west of the town, and already several thousand were mustered.
‘Pyre’s hairy bawsack,’ Keira whispered. ‘That’s a shitload of lizards.’
Lines of supply wagons stood stationary by the side of the army, on the muddy road to the Brig Pass and the south-west. On the other si
de of the army, closer to the town, sat four huge stone throwing machines, some showing signs of repair.
For hours they lay and watched the Rahain forces disengage from the town. Once the majority of the soldiers had formed up in ranks, the procession out of the gates changed to ragged and limping Kell slaves. Soldiers herded them round to the south, towards the road leading to the Lower River and the coast.
‘Where are they taking them?’ Killop said, as the swarm of several thousand slaves were led away.
‘Who knows?’ Keira said. ‘Back to lizardland, probably.’
‘At least they’re not dead.’
She frowned. ‘I’d rather be dead, than a fucking slave.’
The gates of the town started to close, pushed shut by squads of Rahain, though many elderly civilians were still inside. Some tried to rush out, but were shoved back by the soldiers. A few bolts were loosed, and the crowd backed off, allowing the Rahain to shut the gates from the outside. Beams were nailed across the doors, and the soldiers backed off.
A flag was raised, and the throwing arms of the Rahain’s great machines swung forwards, hurling their loads towards the town. Four incendiary missiles, massive burning rocks, flew through the air, and exploded in an eruption of noise and fire. Smoke and dust billowed upwards from the town, amid the rancour of timbers splitting and rocks being wrenched asunder.
Killop felt the earth below him vibrate, and they watched as Meadowhall shook. The huge stone walls, which had withstood countless sieges, seemed to soften and melt. The battlements slipped off and fell, and the great north tower crumpled in on itself, and collapsed. The shaking of the earth grew, and a great split appeared to the east of the town, a crack in the hillside, which widened, then raced towards the town, ripping through the soil and rock in its path. It hit the eastern walls with a deafening whip-crack, and widened again. The walls and buildings to either side toppled over and tumbled down into the split earth, now a wide and gaping crevasse. The entire town shook, and fell, and the earth roiled and rippled, and swallowed it up. A great cloud of smoke and dust hung overhead, and below, where Meadowhall had stood, was a vast circle of disturbed earth, strewn with debris.
The sound of a hundred trumpets echoed from the Rahain army, and there was a loud and sustained cheer from their ranks.
The Kell up on the ridge watched as the Rahain forces turned themselves around, and started to march towards the Brig Pass.
‘How do we fight that?’ said Calum.
‘We know how to beat them,’ Killop said. ‘Remember what we did at the pass. We kicked their arses then, we can do it again.’
‘But do the Lach know how, that’s the question,’ Keira said. ‘If seven thousand of them come lumbering up against that lot, will they know not to charge?’
‘They will if we get to them first,’ he replied. ‘It’s a ten day run to the Brig Pass, but the lizards will take longer, dragging those machines around. Maybe add on an extra five or six days.’
‘How about we piss them off for a while?’ she said. ‘Pick off any that are too slow, or get isolated. See if we can get our hands on one of their stone-throwers. Then race ahead of them before they reach the turnip-munchers.’
‘We’ll need longer to get the Lach prepared. I say we run straight to them.’
‘You got a plan, wee brother?’ she asked, a smile creeping up her lips.
He shrugged. ‘If the Lach are prepared to listen.’
Killop ran.
They had been running for five days now, stopping only at night. They slowed down to a trot to eat and drink, passing skins of cider and hunks of bread between them. The path they were on was a good ten miles south of the main Rahain force, which they had overtaken the day before. If his estimate was correct, they should meet up with the Lach in about five days, which might give them another five to prepare.
The squad were running down the side of a gentle slope towards a series of hedges laid out around a farmstead. Keira led, then the longbows, the crossbows, and Killop at the rear.
There was a commotion ahead, but Killop, being at the back of the column, couldn’t see what was causing it. He heard shouting, and accelerated, drawing his sword. The others at the back of the line sped up to match him. Kylon was swinging his crossbow into position, and yelling at his crew to do the same. There was more shouting, but the hedges ahead were blocking his view. There was a roar of fire, which blasted through the side of the hedge just ten paces in front of him. He threw himself to the ground, and Kylon crunched into him from behind.
Keira appeared from the right, and the fire died down, except for the scorched edges of the hedge, which continued to smoulder. She gazed through the gap in the hedgerow, and swayed. Lacey rushed to her side, an arm supporting her.
Killop got to his feet and raced over. He stared at the burnt earth, and his eyes followed its path of destruction. On the far side of the hedge were a dozen or so Rahain corpses, burnt but recognisable. He went over to the boulder where Keira was sitting. Lacey was holding a drink out for her, the lantern by her side. He got down on one knee and looked at his sister. This was the first time, as far as he knew, that she had used her power to such an extent and not fallen unconscious. She looked groggy and exhausted, but her eyes were fierce, and she met his gaze.
‘Toasted them,’ she said.
‘Aye, sister,’ he said. ‘Now, we best be getting out of here, in case any lizard scouts see the smoke. You think you can walk?’
‘Boss,’ Kylon said, crouching down beside him. ‘You should come.’
He nodded to his sister, and got to his feet. Kylon led him to the hedge, on the far side from where Keira had burnt it. Kallie was there, embracing Kalma, while the rest of the squad looked on, grim-faced. Killop pushed his way to the front of the squad. There were two bodies lying on the ground, both struck with multiple crossbow bolts.
Calman and Conwyn, both of Klannit’s old squad.
Kyleen was kneeling by the side of Conwyn. He had a bolt through his right eye, and another two in his torso.
‘He died protecting Keira,’ Calum said. ‘Took that bolt for her.’
‘Good lad,’ Kyleen said, tears rolling down her face. She closed his left eyelid.
‘And Calman?’ Killop asked.
‘Poor bastard was at the front of the column,’ Calum said. ‘He ran round the hedge and straight into them. They looked as surprised as us, but had their crossbows ready, and Calman took the brunt of it.’
‘Build a cairn,’ Killop said. ‘Use the stones from the dyke.’
‘Aye, boss.’
Keira stumbled over, Lacey supporting her. She stood in front of Conwyn’s corpse, head bowed.
‘He saved my life,’ she said, pain darkening her face.
‘He did his job,’ Kyleen said. ‘As will I.’
She got up and walked over to Killop.
‘It’s been an honour, sir,’ she said, ‘but she’s the mage, and I can’t look after both of you at the same time.’
‘Understood.’
She looked embarrassed for a moment, then went to stand by Keira’s left shoulder.
He felt a hand slip into his, and turned to see Kallie.
‘Don’t worry, man-bear,’ she said, ‘I’ll protect you.’
He started to smile and glanced down at her face. Her features were calm and almost serene, and he realised she was being serious. He remembered back to when she had covered him in the pass, while he had been fighting in the shieldwall. He remembered the countless arrows flying past his ear, and the Rahain falling before him.
He kissed her. ‘I know you will.’
Chapter 27
Marchside (Battle of)
Marchside, Kell – 23rd Day, Last Third Summer 503
The last of the day’s light was fading to their left, as the squad sat crouched on the windy hillside, facing north. Below them was the small hamlet of Marchside, with four large farmhouses, and a few out-buildings. The barley fields were criss-crossed with drys
tane dykes, thick hedgerows and a burn and its tributary. On this, the twenty-third day of the last third of summer, the crops should have been ready to harvest, were it not for the boots of twenty-five thousand soldiers trampling them into the mud.
To the north lay the great Rahain army, victorious over Conor and the Kell, and destroyer of Meadowhall. Over thirteen thousand strong, it was formed up in ranks three hundreds yards in front of the burn, which ran along the base of the hillside where Killop’s squad were perched.
The seven thousand Lach were positioned between the Rahain army and the burn. They were formed into three battalions, the central one a thousand stronger than those on the flanks. On their left were two thousand Brig, representing the bulk of the force that the clan had thus far provided. The rest were busy fortifying the pass that ran through the mountains back to their homeland, but the Kell and Lach had demanded that some be sent to this, the deciding confrontation for Southern Kell. Always the most sparsely populated region, the seven thousand Lach represented the majority of their folk of fighting age, leaving only a few raid strength battalions behind to defend their own land. The Lach army was based around the two largest farmhouses, both of which had paths leading to little bridges over the rushing waters, which joined up with the main road that ran to the south of the burn.
The road from the north, after switch-backing between walls and hedges, joined the main road by crossing a third bridge downstream to the east. Where the roads met was a great standing stone, an ancient marker that denoted the extent of the lands farmed by the Kylanna twins. Behind the stone stood the remaining Kell. Numbering about one and a half thousand, and consisting of a mixture of fresh troops from the Kylanna lands, and battered veterans from the various campaigns and battles up north. Kyla and Kelpie, the younger sisters of the fallen champion Klannit, had rallied this small force, and had welcomed Killop and Keira when they had first met ten days previously, though their joy had turned to grief when they had been told of the death of the chief, and of their brother. The positioning of the Kell by the eastern bridge, far from where everyone expected the action to take place, was a reminder of how far they had fallen. Someone needed to act as the reserve unit, in case the Rahain tried to outflank them from the east, and as neither the Lach nor Brig had wanted to do it, the role had come to them. The Kylanna twins had taken this slight well, and Killop wondered if they were relieved.
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