A strange, eerie silence fell over the area, as the wait for the order to attack seemed to go on for much longer than they had anticipated. Aside from the odd sound of a horse becoming unsettled or a man coughing, the only other sound was that of the banners and flags being held aloft in the brisk morning breeze. Then, as if from nowhere, a chorus of horns sounded from within the walls of Bargsea and Lord Romley felt a slight twisting in his stomach as he knew the fight was about to begin. This was the predefined signal to tell him that his ally and friend, Lord Dalby, was about to start his own campaign. Knowing that timing was of the essence, Lord Romley looked to the man on his left and nodded his head. The man lifted a horn to his mouth and after taking a deep intake of breath blew as hard as he could, sounding out a reply and a sign for the men outside the wall to advance.
Naturally, it was the archers who moved into position first, more so those armed with longbows and crossbows as they had the greater range. However, their use could only be brief, or they risked raining arrows down on their allies inside the walls. Within a minute of the horns sounding the first arrows and bolts were being launched. The battle had started, and as those defending returned fire, Lord Romley watched as his vast numbers of infantry swung forward and headed for the main gate. Once in range of the enemy archers, they would have nothing more than their shields and skills as soldiers to keep them from harm. With no battering rams or siege engines to help gain access, they now relied upon those fighting from the inside to get the gates open, or else risk becoming an easy target.
Lord Dalby wasted no time in moving his men out of the keep. Once the portcullis was lifted, and gates opened his men streamed out, moving swiftly out onto the main thoroughfare. Just to be safe, a small number were to remain within the keep and hold it. Should things go badly wrong they were to make their escape with their prisoner and head back down the tunnels that had given them access. Although advised against it, Lord Dalby always considered himself a hands-on type person and had duly decided to be part of the main force. Always wanting to show his men that he was willing to do anything they were, he felt it his duty to do so, despite many suggesting to him to the contrary. As a major nobleman of Arandor, he would be a big target for anyone wanting to make a name for himself, yet despite all the concerns, Lord Dalby had insisted he take part nonetheless.
As hundreds of troops loyal to the king moved swiftly along the main street, the few people that were not hiding in their homes merely watched on. Probably assuming they were there to repel the attackers outside the wall, Lord Dalby doubted many, if any of the townsfolk within Bargsea would recognise the colours he was flying. As far as they were aware he might be some Endallen noble fighting on behalf of Lord Elthan, going to the aid of those under fire on the walls. A mix of infantry and archers, the long line, numbering into the hundreds were joined by a few smaller groups who had remained undercover within the capital since their arrival. More surprising were several small pockets of Endallen troops they passed en route, seemingly trying to avoid being seen. Perhaps they had already realised the hopelessness of their cause and sought to refrain from any fighting. While some might have seen this as cowardice, perhaps even desertion, a crime punishable by death, Lord Dalby actually thought that these men were indeed the sensible ones.
Few paid them much attention as they headed straight for the gatehouse, the building that housed the winding mechanism for the portcullis. Unsurprisingly most of Lord Elthan’s men were atop the walls trying to deal with the invading masses of Lord Romley. Lining his infantry across the entrance and having them form a shield wall that faced inwards must have looked somewhat suspicious to the handful of men looking on, yet they did nothing to stop it. Happy that his position was secure, Lord Dalby gave the signal to raise the portcullis and open the gates. If his timing was right, Lord Romley’s men should be approaching and heading his direction, if not he would have to hold off any resistance until that was the case.
No sooner had the portcullis started moving from its closed position when the first shouts came from somewhere off to the right of the entrance. A band of infantry, probably being kept in reserve in case those outside the wall managed to breach it, started moving hastily in their direction. With no time to waste, Lord Dalby made the decision these men were a threat and ordered his bowmen lined up behind the shielded infantry to open fire. Allowing them to release their arrows individually as opposed to having them fire volleys, he watched as two of the defenders were sent tumbling to the ground. One man, hit twice, even succeeded in sending two others tumbling over as he crashed into them.
The wall of shields tightened and stood firm as they braced themselves for the handful that managed to get that far. Those attacking were forced to stop in their tracks as Lord Dalby’s infantry remained resolute and strong. Holding their shields in close proximity of each other there were few gaps for the enemy to utilise, and using the spears they had liberated from Lord Elthan’s armoury they were able to keep the enemy at a distance, all the time posing a threat themselves. Despite it being a brave effort, the men of Endallen were quickly finished off, and all the time the portcullis was being raised. Once it was locked in position, Lord Dalby gave the order, and the large iron-studded gates were hauled open to allow the forces of Lord Romley inside.
As the gap between the gates got bigger, Lord Dalby watched with some anticipation, unsure as to whether his timing of the situation was right. At first, he thought those outside were not yet near enough to take advantage of the opening he had given them, but as the gap widened yet further, he could clearly see a most welcome sight. Although still some fifty paces or so away from the entrance, he could clearly see the shielded infantry of Lord Romley’s forces, slowly advancing towards him. Now all he had to do was hold the entrance until they got there.
Some of those defending the walls suddenly started emerging down the stone steps, and Lord Dalby called his troops to prepare for an imminent attack. Although some lined up as if ready to oppose him and try to take the gatehouse back, he noticed others merely slipping away down a side street. Were they going to another strong point to regroup and defend or just trying to avoid any further fighting? The answer, he guessed, he would discover in due course, but for the moment those wanting to fight needed to be dealt with.
As several crossbow bolts were fired his direction, the first of his own men fell to the ground as they struck. As effective as a shield wall was at fending off other infantry, there were inevitably gaps that archers could find, especially from such close range. He watched as a soldier not more than a few yards in front of him cried out and slumped to the ground in a heap, a crossbow bolt buried deep in his upper chest. As much as he wished he could have helped the man, Lord Dalby knew the soldier’s fate was already sealed. Such a wound, even he could get help, would cause internal bleeding and would probably have punctured the lungs. The sound of men stamping their feet and shouting arose from somewhere behind him, and after glancing over his shoulder, Lord Dalby could see the first of the king’s men approach the gates.
As more enemy soldiers loyal to Lord Elthan poured down the steps to intercept them, Lord Dalby gave the order for his own men to break rank. Allowing those under the command of Lord Romley to advance beyond his own position, and he now knew the end was in sight. Within a matter of a minute, there must have been at least two hundred more men fighting for the king than there had been and it was then that he spotted the first signs of surrender. Small pockets of men hurriedly threw their weapons to the ground and held their hands aloft to indicate they wanted no further part in the fighting. However, not all had come to their senses, and as even more soldiers entered, spreading out along the streets inside Barsgea, it was evident some of Lord Elthan’s own guards were making a break for the keep. Lord Dalby afforded a smile as he knew they would find no sanctuary there, nor would they gain access to allow them to make a last stand.
“Ah! Dalby! There you are,” came a voice from behind him. Lord Dalby turned sharply to
see a familiar face smiling down at him.
“What are you doing down there? Here, I’ll have my men bring you a horse,” Lord Romley said with a look that suggested he was actually enjoying himself.
Before Lord Dalby could either accept or refuse the offer, a fully saddled horse was brought forward for him. Probably now only bereft of its rider, due to the fighting.
Without further delay, Lord Dalby lifted himself up onto the horse and when at an eye-level with his fellow nobleman, he duly gave his thanks. As yet more soldiers rushed into Bargsea, the two nobles trotted their horses over to one side so not to cause obstruction.
“The last resistance are heading for the centre.”
“We still hold that?” Lord Romley enquired.
“We do!”
“Good, then there is nowhere else for them to go.”
“You lose many men?” Lord Dalby asked his colleague as they slowly moved away from the entrance way and along a street filled with soldiers.
“Early signs are not too bad. We reckon about a score or so dead and maybe double that figure injured. What about you?”
Lord Dalby glanced back to where his men had been holding the ground near the gate trying to recall how many he had seen fall. There was at least one dead as he had witnessed and very likely one or two others. However, considering what they had achieved he thought he had gotten off very lightly.
“I think just a handful,” he eventually replied.
As the sound of more horse-mounted soldiers could be heard entering Bargsea, both Lords slowly dropped into the side of their ranks.
“You have Elthan in custody?”
“I do. And very heavily guarded!”
“Excellent, then let us round up these last few pockets of resistance and get out of here,” Lord Romley replied with a grin that seemed to accentuate the wrinkles on his ageing, weathered face.
Chapter 19.Job done.
The last pockets of resistance had proven to be little more than a hindrance for Lord Dalby and Lord Romley. Thankfully most had given up when they eventually realised the hopelessness of their situation, although that was not the case with everyone. As Lord Dalby had suspected at the beginning, there would undoubtedly be some who would see it as their duty to fight to the death in the name of their Lord. So this had proved to be true. While these small pockets of resistance had been swiftly wiped out, several more men on the king’s side had been killed in doing so.
With Bargsea now firmly under their control, and every street within it being patrolled by men loyal to the king, those few remaining loyal to Lord Elthan either laid low or else slipped out of the gates and escaped. While letting enemy soldiers go may have seemed unwise, Lord Dalby, who had taken control of the Endallen capital, had deemed it better than having them remain. If a handful of men wanted to remain loyal to a nobleman who would soon be escorted back to Miranor and probably executed, then he would rather them be somewhere where they could not do further harm.
In the name of the king, Lord Dalby pronounced that all Endallen lands were now under the rule of the crown. Such notices were written, and with the help of those Endallen lesser nobles who had wisely decided to side with the forces of the king, they were dispatched to all the main towns within the region. For now, at least, all nobility within Endallen was suspended, meaning even those who had aided the king were technically no longer in control of their own lands. However, Lord Romley and Lord Dalby had taken a joint decision to allow those they knew to be trustworthy to remain as they were, even though until the king said otherwise they were no longer deemed nobles.
The two men also penned one further letter, and one that had a third and forth signature added to it, after the forces of Lord Mangilly and Lord Ashton arrived just a few hours after the last of the fighting had finished. This letter was to be sent to the King, to let him know that their war was over and that they had claimed all Endallen in his name. A war they had feared would drag on for months had been accomplished in a matter of days thanks to the information afforded them about the tunnels. While this would mean most of them would soon be able to return home, that would not be the case for everyone.
Dillon Dalby, as a relation to Lord Dalby and hence also to the king, had been the man chosen to oversee the running of Bargsea once the bulk of the conquering army had departed. Naturally, there may still be some who would continue to fight on in Lord Elthan’s name, and so a sizable force of soldiers would also have to remain. At least with some of the minor Endallen nobles on-side, keeping a watch on the entire region would be a task that could now be shared. As for the others, they could return to their respective homes along with the soldiers that served under them. As the man with the furthest to go, Lord Romley also had the honour of escorting their prisoner back to Miranor where he could stand trial for High Treason and regicide.
However, having defeated Lord Elthan’s forces much quicker than anybody had hoped or anticipated, they had agreed to remain a few days more to help oversee the transition of power. There were prisoners other than Lord Elthan do deal with, and although many would and could be released to return to their homes, there was a handful that would have to remain in custody. Fiercely loyal to their lord, they would not so easily accept a new regime taking over, and for now, they would have to remain in the dungeons. The first to be released were those that had readily given up, such as Adyan Flynn, Captain of the Reserve Guard, along with those he had managed to persuade to join him. Aside from having their weapons repossessed, although they were permitted to keep small sidearms, they were released from custody shortly after the fighting had finished.
Those who had surrendered only after the gates to Bargsea had been breached were not treated quite the same. As many of these men were in the direct employment of Lord Elthan, some were considered dangerous, even if unarmed, and hence these were the ones faced with a stay in the dungeon. Dillon Dalby, as the young man tasked with overseeing the running of Bargsea would have to deal with their fate all in good time.
As for the soldiers and support staff that had travelled with the nobles supporting the king, they had to make do with a large camp that had sprouted up outside the main walls. Occupying fields typically set aside for pasture, this would have to be their homes for a few days longer. Yet, the thought of them being allowed to return to their homes proved more than a good enough reason for them to be thankful, and as such, the men were in good spirits. Aside from still being assigned guard duties in Bargsea, the soldiers were permitted to rest and relax as they saw fit so long as it was nothing overly exuberant. Strangely, this good mood had seen quite a few frequenting the inns and taverns within Bargsea. Despite them being an invading force, they were actually warmly welcomed, especially as many had spare coin to spend. With an air of uncertainty about what the future held for them, the business owners in Bargsea were grateful for it.
Having taken up occupancy in the former home of Lord Elthan, Lord Dalby and Lord Romley were sat in the drawing room discussing how best to divide up Endallen. While this was only their own opinion, it was, however, a suggestion for the young king to consider. With a glass of brandy in one hand, Lord Romley relaxed back in his cushioned chair and listened as his colleague and friend detailed the contents of the treasury.
“It was almost empty!” Lord Dalby explained.
“You think there might be another…I have three,” Lord Romley replied taking a sip of his drink and allowing the brandy to run slowly down his throat as if savouring the moment.
“I’m sure of it, but I’m certain Elthan isn’t going to reveal anything to us. Dillon has already got people searching for any hidden rooms.
“That might take a while!”
“Give him something to do over winter,” Lord Dalby replied with a chuckle as he got to his feet and wandered over to the large window. With his own glass of brandy in hand, he looked out and up at the grey cloudy sky and gave an audible sigh. The first few drops of rain hit the glass, and he watched as they slowly rolled
down the pane, occasionally merging with others before returning his attention back to the conversation in the room.
“We haven’t even found the stolen crown so I can only assume that Elthan has it hidden in one of his other vaults,” Lord Dalby said, his frustration easily detectable in the tone of his voice.
“No matter, I’m not sure the king will be too bothered. Let’s just hope things get back to normal as soon as possible,” Lord Romley replied taking another sip from his glass. “He will still need our guidance,” Lord Romley added changing the subject matter.
“I’m not so sure. I think his experiences since having to flee the palace have given him a very different perspective of the world.”
“You think so?”
Lord Dalby wandered back over to his chair and sat back down, speaking as he did so. “I’m sure of it. As dreadful as all this must have been for the poor lad, I think it has taught him some very important lessons in life. Besides, Edward, or should I say, Lord Smyth, is no fool. A commoner he may have been, but he seems quite an intelligent young man, and fiercely loyal to the king.”
Lord Romley nodded several times in agreement before gulping back the last of his brandy and placing the empty glass down on the small table beside his chair. “I hear a rumour that this Lord Smyth also has eyes for a certain young lady…whose name shall remain anonymous,” he added with a slight grin on his face.
The Battle for Endallen Page 17