by Gerard Bond
Dark in the meantime had dropped her crossbow and met the third rider with a clash of blade too. They had stood side by side trading blows until the man had managed to grab Dark’s blade with his gloved hand. Dark surprised him with a deft spring from her own horse onto the back of his. She pulled out her dagger plunging in down deep into the bottom of his neck. Pulling it free a spurt of blood shot out, some of it catching Dark’s face.
Justin and Keera had only a vague idea of what was going on in the center. They had their hands full galloping in wide arcs with a soldier on the tail of each of them. Justin decided to spring a surprise and turned full in his saddle facing backwards. With a clear shot available he notched and fired a single arrow at the man behind him. The enemy soldier had been following too close and couldn’t dodge in time, taking the arrow full in the chest.
Keera on the other hand was riding hard around and around trying to work out a plan. As she passed the group in the center she could see victory was at hand. So did the rider behind her who saw the last of his comrades’ fall, he broke off the chase and made a beeline for the trees.
Wollfen had seen the rider break off and sprung into action, giving the last horseman chase towards the trees. On he rode, jabbing his horse’s flanks. He was sure his mount was hating him right about now. He quickly realized he wouldn’t catch the horseman in time, Wollfen stood in his stirrups and lifted his sword high and threw it with all that he had. At that moment he hunched down and gave an extra jab to his horse, he hoped that even if the sword only put the horseman off a bit it would allow Wollfen to catch up. He needn’t have worried, the sword flew true and struck the fleeing rider on his right lower side skewering him. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop him and on he went, Wollfen still chasing. Then just before the trees, the man hunched forward and the horse slowed to a canter turning in an arc. The horseman started heading back towards his dead comrades.
Keera had ridden on hard and fast, she had been oblivious to the rider abandoning the chase, the fear and adrenaline was coursing through her. When she did look back, she saw only Dark and Justin in the distance. Then pulling up and wheeling, she scanned the field. There, far over near the tree line was Wollfen chasing a man with a sword protruding from him. That was curious, she trotted back to the others and as she did she saw the soldier on his horse wheeling and walking back to them, which was even weirder.
Wollfen came up behind the impaled rider and looked at him, he was dead in his saddle, the horse deciding to do his own thing. He led the horse back to the others gathered together and they took stock of what had just happened.
He looked at all the others, none worse for wear and addressed them,
“Congratulations on passing your first real test in battle together. It was a little dicey and I think that’s the first time any of us have faced off against military troops. We had no plan but managed a good outcome. I think you all did well.”
He watched their reactions but he was probably expecting a bit much. They were all coming down from adrenaline highs.
“I think that we were a bit lucky in managing to act first and after the initial surprise of stumbling upon them too. We can’t count on that happening again. We have managed to let our vigilance slip, I don’t think it will need to be discussed beyond that?”
This time he could see agreement on their part. None of them really wanted to have to do that again if they could help it.
They picked over the soldiers bodies, checking to see what they carried and what supplies they had on their horses. It quickly became obvious it was only a day patrol from the light supplies present and there wasn’t much beyond that of value. Wollfen managed to find a small bag of foreign gold coins on the sergeant’s body. They took what food they could find and drained water bags into their own canteens.
Dark found a nifty new dagger made with a smooth gold hilt, the blade patterned with floral acid etching and red leather grip, it would replace the one she dropped during the melee’.
“Pity we can’t use their clothes for something, they look to be in good condition.”
Justin piped up too,
“I could use new boots, mine are starting to part at the seams.”
Wollfen looked at the dead men and themselves,
“You are right, everyone strip.” They all looked, strip? After pausing, Wollfen went on, “It would be prudent of us to change clothes totally and become part of the enemy army.”
“They would hang us!” Justin exclaimed.
“They would run us through with swords just as quickly when they find us again. And I say when not if. We are riding into the heart of enemy territory here make no mistake, we are treading in dangerous lands right now. It also occurs to me that with these clothes on and if we ride all night we can be in the port by morning. I am sure the port will be a bustle of activity with soldiers moving about. They won’t take too much notice of four bedraggled troopers coming back from the front looking for some rest.”
At the mention of the last part Keera perked up,
“We could go to a tavern I know of there. It is discreet and I know the barkeep who will be able to help us a lot.”
Keera thought of all that free beer she could get from him too. He was a sweet man indeed she thought with a smile.
Wollfen accepted Keera’s words,
“Then it is settled, we move as soon as we are dressed, we can keep our regular clothes in those packs.”
They busied themselves, stripping and redressing out there in the middle of the field. Keera found the least bloody body and turned him over, the man looked at her and held a sword to her throat.
“Move and you’re dead.”
He stood up looking at the others. He favored an ankle, but apart from that he was uninjured. It was the man Wollfen had bowled over in the initial clash. Now he stood there, sword at her throat and looking about trying to work out what to do. The others slowly moved around him. If only they had ridden on, he could have moved off then, but no, talk of infiltration and swapping uniforms, they were spies.
“Do anything and I will run her through!” he called out, what else could he do?
Wollfen stepped forward, watching the man intently.
“And if you harm her, you will be shot down.”
Justin and Dark both had a bead on him, all they needed was the go ahead. Wollfen with one hand raised toward them spoke slowly but surely,
“Do as I say and there will be no further bloodshed.”
The soldier looked around at the four, realizing there was nothing he could do, he lowered his sword and Keera stepped away quickly.
“What are you to do with me? You can’t let me go with what I know and you know I will return to base with your plans. You can’t take me with you as you would need to bind me and that wouldn’t look right either would it? You would have to explain very quickly who I am to any officer you see and even if you dress me in your clothes the odds are the officer will still want to speak to me and then you would be undone.”
Wollfen contemplated all of it, there was no arguing with the logic. He was a smart man too, definitely dangerous. He dropped his hand with a cutting motion and it was over, ten dead men on the field.
Keera busied herself with getting her gear right and then packing the saddlebags with her own stuff. The boots she wore now were a little too big, she was sure she would end up with blisters. She had to poke new holes in the belt too, it was simply too big. The shield was heavy, sword too big and the helmet would slip forward on her face. If she didn’t find a way to deal with that it was going to look comical riding into the Port city looking like this. She looked around and saw everybody else almost ready too. Wollfen was still standing there at the crumpled form of the man they had executed, staring like it was his first kill.
Dark had noticed too and had watched for a bit. She approached him and touched his arm, Wollfen came out of his reverie,
“Mm?”
“My darling? she asked in a low tone, “Are you o
kay?”
Wollfen nodded almost imperceptibly,
“I do not enjoy killing in cold blood.”
He turned and mounted his horse, setting off in the direction of Port Cholandra without another word, the rest busying themselves playing catch-up.
Back towards the east Eldoron had been shadowing a company of two hundred men moving northeast for a day now, skirting the area of conquest but staying this side of the hills. He hadn’t seen anything of real note, other than they would stop from time to time and their sorceress would move forward then appear to meditate before moving back again. Then they would set off again as before. It was a curious way of advancing along. Were they expecting some great magical attack? The days of Sorcerers and Witches battling it out in cataclysmic clashes had long passed this world by. Those days were a thousand years distant and were nothing more than folklore now. Though in his travels and the way many men treated him you would think Eldoron had stepped out of folklore himself.
Men forgot the past so quickly. They were a dynamic race full of vigor, but their short lives meant they were destined to repeat the mistakes of the past time and again. He had seen it many times and he was a young elf at 85. Most elves found humans too immature and too impulsive to deal with, always on the go and always lusting for the next adventure. They were exhausting.
He wondered about Wollfen though, that same vitality was showing when he met him on the field. There too was a strength and confidence that too few of his kind had, but he had also sensed a calm, there in the background. He could see this man sitting back and taking his time to calmly contemplate things. Maybe he had learned that from his time with the elves many years ago. He remembered him in passing, the man had kept to himself most of the time watching, learning, studying. Sometimes he would disappear to the outside world for months at a time then return again. It was a curious set of circumstances, he couldn't think of any humans that could call the Elven enclave home.
That night Eldoron stole into the camp of the soldiers, always just a shadow here or there, listening, seeking out useful information. Then near a captain of those troops he overheard an interesting conversation indeed.
Valdarus was his name and he was talking with two of his lieutenants.
“I don’t know why we are here in this godforsaken land. Nothing but open plains and small villages, no culture, no challenges. I can’t even see why we would bother trying to set up trade with these people even if we were at peace with them? Six months of ocean voyage, spoiled food and all those sicknesses and now what have we to look forward to? We get here and what is there? Flies, disgusting food and nothing but the prospect of ‘maybe’ a fight and from what we have dealt with so far, not much of a fight at that.”
The lieutenant wasn’t mincing his words, they were far enough away from the main encampment to not worry about being overheard. But what was there to look forward to? They had been preparing in their own country for over four months before they set sail. They had been here four weeks with very little to show for it apart from having sacked a couple of dozen villages and towns. Almost a year for this campaign and even now they weren’t even close to attaining anything of value.
“Patience Gerron, all that we have done up to now is just preparation for something much more important. I’m not sure what it is, but I can tell that it is all building towards a much larger objective.”
The Captain was right of course, their commander at the main battle camp was in daily contact with their Warlord back at Port Cholandra. Whatever strategies they were playing out, they all seemed to be going rather well in spite of the setbacks. The loss of a lot of the food supply ships on the voyage had been one, it had placed a strain on the men over the last month of the journey. Now, they spent half their time foraging to feed an army of fifteen thousand and many more were on their way.
“All we can do is keep patrolling and collecting food where we can before the next lot of orders come through, I have a sense that shouldn’t be long.”
In fact he had no sense of what was to happen next but he wasn’t going to tell a bunch of grumbling soldiers that they were going to be sitting idly for at least another month.
“Well they had better get cracking in my mind.” Was all the second lieutenant could add.
At that moment Eldoron heard a crack of twigs near him and decided it was time to move on, enough information was collected this night.
On the coast the captain of the guard was responding to a small commotion near the edge of the King’s entourage and approached to see what was going on.
“What have we here?” He inquired of the soldier holding a parchment in front of two women of questionable background.
He motioned the second guard out of the way to get a better look at them. Very plainly dressed indeed, they looked like common folk from the local area.
“Sir, these two women wish to see the King.”
“And by what manner of right do you approach?” He directed at them.
The taller of the two who looked a little regal now that he studied her a little more closely fixed him with a steady look and spoke in a firm voice,
“I am Nightwing, Daughter of the Earl of Windere and I seek a moment with the king’s personal counsel on a private matter of great importance.”
“Very well milady,” he had better address her properly.
He knew a lot of the ladies of the King’s interest, but even he couldn’t keep up with all of them and maybe this was another the king was about to add to his collection?
“You must have some form of identification on you?”
Nightwing produced her hand and showed him her signet ring bearing the mark of the Earl of Windere. The Captain bowed a little and addressed her more formally now,
“I shall inform the Counsel Borlynn that you are here.”
He turned on his heel and headed back towards the larger tents at the center. Nightwing turned and gave Loranda a wink and a little smirk.
Counsel Borlynn was spending his time in light conversation with the widowed baroness Adra, a vacuous woman who constantly giggled. He found her tiring but she was rich so he found the patience to deal with her constant attentions, he would smile at her from time to time as she talked and giggled away. The Captain approached and stood to one side of the lounge they were sitting on,
“Yes what is it?”
“A Lady Nightwing, daughter of the Earl of Windere wishes a word your honor.”
Earl of Windere? Was there such a place? Oh yes, it was in the northeast, one of the outlying precincts that no one ever heard from. The Earl was probably asking for some favor of the King.
“Very well give it a few minutes and then send her in would you?”
“Yes your honor it shall be so.”
‘My ass, he was going to send her in straight away,’ Borlynn thought. The Captain retreated bowing as he went.
“I am sorry my dear, matter of state, I hope you and I can do this again sometime soon?”
'Not too soon please.' passed through his mind. A gracious curtsy and farewells then she was gone. Now if the Captain really did wait a few minutes he could get a quick drink in.
“Ahem”
“No such luck.”
“I beg your pardon your honor?”
He turned to see a road weary traveler, tall for a woman and yes her stance told of bearing, was this Nightwing? Maybe he should introduce her to the King; he certainly would take an interest in this one. There was another behind her too, a bit shorter but proud as well.
“Nothing milady, too many thoughts, I believe you were seeking audience with me?”
“I actually wish to give word to the King of an incident that has grave consequences for the Kingdom.”
Well, she didn’t mince her words and he wasn’t sure he liked the fact he wasn’t being pandered to.
“I’m afraid that is out of the question. The King is a very important man dealing with issues of the state. One does not just walk in and get to see th
e King, you really should have made contact through the proper channels weeks ago if you were seeking an audience with him.”
“But your Honor this issue only came to light a couple of days ago and it needs the King’s full attention immediately to deal with it!”
“Come now, what could be so pressing that would need such urgency?”
Nightwing took a deep breath. This was the moment to put her case and make it happen,
“We have just traveled from the southern outlands and have seen many towns burning. This I saw with my own eyes, they left nothing standing!”
“Who my dear?”
“Enemy soldiers, I didn’t recognize their colors and they didn’t carry any standard.”
“Then they must have been bandits.”
“No your honor, there were hundreds traveling in columns.”
“Hundreds you say?”
Now this was a curious state of affairs, people running around burning towns, marching about without a banner, this just wouldn’t do. No, it was preposterous.
“Really my dear, I think that if something so serious had happened we would have heard something about it. Now I think you really should move on, there really isn’t any time to deal with this sort of nonsense.”
Nightwing’s anger flared, it was as much as she would have expected from a man more interested in procedure than the health and well being of the people.
She took a deep breath, fixed Borlynn with a steely gaze and very calmly but forcefully repeated herself,
“Your Lord Borlynn, I must impress upon you the importance of what is happening here. We have ridden directly from the outlands to here without stopping to give you news of what has transpired. I personally saw over two hundred armed horsemen marching in columns having burned one of the towns of the outlands. There were very many burning towns that could be seen from the hillside. This is not to be dismissed with such flippancy!”
She quickly realized even if she did see the king, the wheels of action would be very slow to turn indeed. The pity of it was while the land was wealthy and prosperous, they really didn’t have many issues to deal with and now one was raising its ugly head. She could see the Hierarchy would be all at sea within days.