The Warrior (The Hidden Realm)

by A. Giannetti

  Merula gave Elerian an appraising look that Elerian returned without flinching.

  “Do you trust this southerner, Dacien?” asked Merula doubtfully. “His looks do not inspire confidence.”

  “Ascilius and I both saw a hunting party of Mordi on the western bank of the river, and we saw an Uruc standing on the eastern bank in place of one of our sentries,” said Dacien defensively. “Elerian also slew a Goblin shape changer near the horse herd. More than likely, your camp was being watched.”

  “A few Goblins hardly make an army,” said Merula disparagingly. “I have serious doubts about the account given by this southerner. If there is a Goblin army across the river, how could he approach it without being discovered? The woodcraft of the Mordi is legendary. For all we know, he may be in league with the enemy, seeking to draw the Tarsian forces away from Silanus so that the Goblin army can break through our weakened defenses there. I cannot take such a risk on the word of such an uncertain messenger,” said Merula with an air of finality in his voice.

  Merula’s doubts were those of a prudent leader. Elerian wondered how Dacien would respond to them. After all, he had not seen the Goblin army with his own eyes. Would he side with Merula, a kinsman and a man he had known for years, or would he trust in the words of a chance companion that he had known for only a short time. When Dacien regarded him for a moment with troubled gray eyes, Elerian returned his stare straightforwardly but said nothing.

  “I trust Elerian’s story,” said Dacien at last in a firm voice. “He helped bring me out of the Dark King’s dungeons. Why would he seek to deceive me now?”

  “Perhaps the escape was arranged with this end in mind,” suggested Merula.

  At these words, Ascilius’s face darkened with anger. To be accused of being in league with the Goblins after all he had suffered at their hands was more than he could bear. The statement also upset Dacien.

  “You were not there in the Dark King’s dungeon, Merula,” said Dacien grimly. “Our escape was real and not planned in any way by Torquatus. If you will not send word to my father, I will go myself now on Mylachen.”

  Merula frowned at having his authority circumvented, but he did not seem inclined to argue openly with Dacien.

  “There is no need for you to go, cousin. I will send riders south at once if that is what you truly wish,” said Merula reluctantly.

  There was a hidden resentment in his voice, and Elerian wondered what Dacien’s position was among the Tarsi that he should have such influence over the commander of the encampment. His father was surely a man of authority.

  “It is gratifying to be trusted,” said Elerian, “but perhaps I can lay even Merula’s doubts to rest.”

  Silently, he called his crystal orb to his right hand and held it out so that Dacien and the others could see into its dark depths. As he stared into the orb, Elerian missed seeing the startled looks on the faces of Merula, Dacien, and Heald as the interior of the globe began to brighten. Ascilius looked into the sphere with the greatest reluctance, lest he see something even more terrible than the dragon’s eye that had appeared the last time he had looked into the orb.

  Under the guidance of Elerian’s thoughts, the sphere suddenly showed a forest. Lounging beneath the trees were hundreds of Mordi in black leather armor. Then, as if the orb had become a bird darting between the tree trunks, the scene changed constantly, revealing thousands of mutare, atriors, tall Urucs, red-eyed canigrae, and even a small company of massive Trolls in leather armor. All were stirring, moving toward the river where the Trolls were preparing to launch the first of the rafts.

  As suddenly as it had appeared, the scene in the orb vanished, and the crystal sphere turned dark. Elerian sent the globe away before looking up at the others, who had crowded close around him for a better look at what the orb would reveal. There was wonder in their eyes at what they had seen and in the case of Heald and Merula, a little fear too. They stared at Elerian uneasily, as if more disturbed by his use of the orb than what they had seen in it.

  “Can we trust what we have seen?” asked Merula suspiciously of Dacien. “Perhaps this is only some mage trick to deceive us.”

  “I believe what we have seen is real,” said Dacien positively. “I have seen Elerian perform too many strange feats to doubt him now. Torquatus must have secretly moved most of his forces north from Silanus in preparation for this attack. You must send out messengers at once to Silanus to ask for help.”

  “I have already said that I will send them,” said Merula somewhat testily. “Once the messengers have gone, I will withdraw all my forces from the encampment. We will wait for the host at the Scissura.”

  “We should try to delay the Goblins instead of retreating,” objected Dacien.

  “There is no need cousin,” said Merula in a condescending voice. “If there is truly a Goblin army ready to cross the Arvina, their commander will not lead them across the plains openly under the light of the sun. The Goblins will travel east along the banks of the Tanicus, a distance of at least fifty miles, as the cornix flies, staying under cover of the trees lining its banks. Following this indirect path, it will take them at least two full days to reach the Nordaels. My messengers will reach Orianus in the morning which means that the host will arrive at the Scissura sometime tomorrow night, long before the Goblins reach the pass. We will fall upon them unawares with the morning sun at our backs when they attempt to enter the Scissura. ”

  “The Goblins will not follow the Tanicus,” said Ascilius quietly in his deep voice.

  “What other choice have they, Ascilius?” asked Merula sharply. “The sun is their enemy. If they expose themselves to it, it will blind them and make their head spin, making them unfit to travel or fight.”

  Ascilius looked at Merula with a somber look in his dark eyes. “If the Goblins did not feel threatened, I think you would be right about their plans. Once their commander discovers that your camp is empty, however, and that he has lost the element of surprise, he will not care about the sun. There will be no leisurely march to the mountains along the shaded banks of the Tanicus. The Uruc leading the Goblin forces will order his captains to drive his army on with lashes and the threat of death in a forced march along the shorter route across the open plains, a distance of only thirty five miles. If they are not delayed, those who survive the march and the sun will be safe in the foothills of the Nordaels well before dark tomorrow, long before any reinforcements can reach us.”

  Ascilius turned from Merula to Dacien. “As soon as the Goblins set foot in the mountains, the existence of the Tarsi will be threatened as never before. Horsemen are no match for Wood Goblins in the forest. They will defeat any force that pursues them, and they can strike anywhere they please. They could attack Niveaus itself. The possibilities are endless, and they all bode ill for your nation. They must be delayed at all costs until help arrives from the south, even if it costs the life of everyone in this camp.”

  “That is easy council for you to give, son of Fundanus,” said Merula in an irritated voice, for he was not pleased that Ascilius had contradicted him in front of Dacien. “You will journey west to your city and take no part in this useless resistance that you council.”

  “I said everyone in this camp, Merula,” said Ascilius softly. “I will stand beside Dacien if he chooses to fight.”

  “I will add my sword arm also,” said Elerian.

  Merula rounded on Elerian at once, his eyes glittering with the anger that he had kept in check up to now. “I am sure the mighty arm of a vagabond such as yourself will be more than enough to tip the balance of the battle,” he sneered, displaying a savage side of his nature that he had kept concealed up to now.

  “Take care what you say Merula,” said Ascilius quietly before Elerian could reply. “You may regret your words later.”

  “Do not threaten me Ascilius,” said Merula in a disdainful voice, for anger had made him reckless. “I do not fear a homeless Dwarf and his vagabond companion.”

&nb
sp; Ascilius’s dark eyes smoldered with anger at the insult, and a cold light appeared in Elerian’s eyes. A sudden uneasy tension filled the tent, as if a fight might break out at any moment.

  PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE

  “Enough!” shouted Dacien sternly. “We have enough enemies to fight without picking battles among ourselves.”

  “Do you expect me to sit silent while you usurp my authority and this Dwarf contests my words in my own tent?” asked Merula angrily of Dacien. “Were things only a little different, our positions might be easily reversed, but I would never treat you so shamefully.”

  Dacien looked genuinely distressed at Merula’s words. “I meant no disrespect to you cousin,” he said apologetically. “The urgency of the situation has forced me to act quickly and without tact. Ascilius, too, means well. He has fought the Goblins many times, and his advice ought not to be discounted lightly. Trust me and you will see that I have not misled you,” he said soothingly.

  “It seems I have no choice,” said Merula bitterly. “If you are determined to delay the Goblin army then at least have the messengers call up the other two companies stationed by the Arvina to the south of us. They can be here before morning and will swell our numbers to almost one thousand mounted men.”

  “An excellent suggestion,” said Dacien heartily, “but how will we join forces? We cannot stay here to wait for them.”

  “It will be easy enough to arrange,” said Merula, somewhat mollified now that he had Dacien’s ear again and was being treated respectfully. He crossed the tent and opened one of the wooden chests that stood against the tent wall. After taking out a thin roll of parchment along with a quill and an inkbottle, he returned to the table and spread out the parchment on the folding table. It proved to be a map showing all the land between the Arvina and the Nordaels.

  The Tarsi commander now seemed to become an entirely different person to Elerian. All his earlier hostility vanished. He spoke pleasantly and treated both Dacien and Ascilius deferentially, but Elerian took careful note of the fact that Merula made no apologies for his hard words to either himself or to Ascilius.

  “If they cross the river, how far do you think the Goblins will travel by morning, Ascilius?” asked Merula politely.

  Ascilius seemed soothed by Merula’s change in tone. He thought hard for a moment and then said, “I would guess they will cover at least twenty-five miles by first light.”

  Merula raised an eyebrow, and even Dacien looked doubtful. “Are you sure Ascilius?” Dacien asked. “They will be in full battle dress and likely carrying a heavy burden of food and gear.”

  “It will not matter,” said Ascilius. “They will run as if they had dragon fire licking at their heels. I stand by my guess of twenty-five miles.”

  “Very well then, let us accept Ascilius’s estimate,” said Merula, his voice still pleasant. “Do you remember this valley Dacien?” he asked pointing with the forefinger on his right hand to a place near the mountains.

  “Yes,” said Dacien. “It is deep enough to hide a whole company of mounted men from anyone on the surrounding plains.

  “Exactly,” said Merula. “The shortest route to the mountains lies through that valley. The Goblin army is sure to pass that way. When they approach it, we can rise up in front of them and attack with the sun at our backs. They will be tired, and the sun will confuse and weaken them. We should be able to hold them back for a while, but whether it will give the host enough time to arrive I do not know,” he said doubtfully, as he took up the quill.

  “We must do the best we can,” said Dacien resolutely.

  Seeing that Dacien was remained determined to fight, Merula dipped his quill in the inkwell before marking the place where they were to wait for the Goblin army with a black X.

  Turning to Audens who stood nearby, Merula said, “Take two other men and spare horses, Audens. Ride south with all the speed you can manage. When you stop for fresh horses at the other camps, inform the commanders that Dacien commands them to ride to our aid with all the speed they can muster. They are to meet us at the valley that I have marked on the map.

  “When you arrive at Silanus, inform Orianus that his son is alive and that he requests as many of the host as Orianus deems it prudent to send to repel an attack by the Goblins. We will meet him at the Scissura if any of us survive the skirmishes with the Goblins.”

  Merula made a second X on the map to mark the meeting place near the mountains before rolling it up and handing it to Audens.

  “It will be done at once, my lord,” said Audens.

  Taking the map, he immediately ran off to choose two other Tarsi to ride south with him. Elerian, who had stood quietly off to one side, noted that Merula had cleverly worded the message for aid so that all the responsibility fell on Dacien’s shoulders.

  “He will blame Dacien if anything goes wrong,” thought Elerian to himself.

  Turning to Heald, Merula said, “Move discreetly through the camp, Heald, and inform all the men to leave a few at a time. They are to the gather at the valley I marked on the map. Each man is to take an extra mount, weapons, sleeping blankets, food for several days, and any personal things they wish to save. I expect that whatever we leave behind will be destroyed by the enemy.”

  After Heald left to carry out his orders, Merula turned to Dacien, Ascilius, and Elerian.

  “It will take some time for all the preparations to be made,” he said courteously, “and we will be among the last to leave in any case. There is ample time for you to take some refreshment, after which you must be outfitted for the coming battle. I have no great weapons store here, but my arms master will do his best to find you weapons to your liking. You have your mount already Dacien, but something better must be found for your companions than that crippled gray stallion.”

  “He has not been told yet that Enias is healed,” thought Elerian to himself, but he said nothing, for he had no wish to stir up a new argument.

  “Bring my guests food and wine, Aetarch, but hurry for we have little time to waste,” Merula ordered his old retainer.

  Moving with deliberate speed, Aetarch set clean towels and a large earthenware bowl filled with clear water on the table. As the three companions washed their hands, he disappeared through the entrance to the tent, but in a surprisingly short time, he returned with a basket of food and wine, which he set out on the table. It was rough fare, for this was a war camp, but the wine, cheese, fresh bread, and cold sliced beef was a feast compared to the food the three companions had eaten since their escape from Calenus.

  As they ate, Merula sat at the table with them, but Elerian noticed that he did not share in any of the food or drink.

  “Is that deliberate or not?” wondered Elerian to himself. “He is friendly enough now, but who knows what his true thoughts are?”

  When the three had eaten their fill, the arms master appeared with shirts of brown linen and pants of soft brown leather. Brown leather boots and heavy leather shirts studded with wide steel plates, along with round steel caps completed their attire. Dacien found clothes that were a fair fit, but Ascilius and Elerian were forced to alter their gear, for Ascilius was much shorter than the Tarsians, and Elerian had a more slender frame than the average rider.

  Aetarch and the arms master watched with widened eyes as Ascilius and Elerian altered their garments with magic, parting and joining leather and cloth with a touch of their fingers. Elerian was the only one in the tent who could see the golden light of the parting and joining spells that he and Ascilius were using to fit the clothing to their own frames. In a short time, they were done. Their new clothes fit perfectly, as if they had been tailored especially for them.

  From the pile of weapons that the arms master presented to them, Dacien took a sword, a long belt knife, and one of the heavy spears favored by the Tarsians. Seeing nothing that he liked better, Elerian kept the sword and knife that he already had. Ascilius took a double bitted ax with a steel handle from the pile. It was a bit heavy for
a human arm, but it was well suited to the great strength of the Dwarf. All three of them also took a small, round wooden shield bare of any device.

  “Surely this is a Dwarf ax,” said Ascilius to the arms master as he hefted his new weapon.

  “It may be,” said the Tarsi politely. “These are odd weapons with no history that I gathered in haste.”

  Bows, with a quiver of arrows tipped with iron points, completed their outfits. Elerian kept his own bow, for he found none better among the short bows of the riders. He did take two quivers of the iron tipped arrows, however. Gathering up the leftover gear and Ascilius’s and Elerian’s packs, the arms master left the tent.

  “The sun has begun its descent into the west,” said Merula when he saw that everyone was properly equipped. “It is time for us to be on our way. The horse herd has been driven south, and my men have all left the camp except for Aetarch and a few others. They will keep the watch fires burning tonight and walk about the camp to make it look as if it is still occupied. The ruse may delay the Goblins for a time even if their suspicions are roused when the relief does not appear for the sentries they have slain.”

  Merula turned to Aetarch. “Leave as soon as the sun goes down,” he said sternly to the white haired attendant. “I will need every sword arm before this night is over.”

  “Never fear, we will meet you out on the plains tonight,” said Aetarch. He left the tent to make his own preparations for the coming battle.

  Elerian followed Merula and his two companions outside the tent. Camp fires now burned all through the encampment, sending gray columns of smoke into the still evening air, but there were only a few men about, for the Tarsi had been leaving the camp by twos and threes ever since Heald had passed on the order to assemble out on the plains.

  The arms master was standing near the entrance to the tent, holding the reins to five horses. One was Dacien’s black stallion. Standing restively next to him was a fiery roan stallion that appeared blood red in the light of the fading sun. The other four were sleek, powerful bays. All were saddled except for one, which was carrying leather packs containing food and blankets which the arms master had prepared for each of the riders. Elerian saw his own pack and Ascilius’s among them. Standing off to one side was Enias. To the casual eye, he seemed of little consequence compared to the five powerful steeds of the Tarsi, but Elerian did not fail to note how the other horses seemed to defer to him as he stood quietly apart from them.