Snakewood

by Adrian Selby

  “I’ll be taking you through the plant we got,” said Roin, “but of all the men you got after you, what did you do to piss a drudha like Kigan off?” He said it with half a smile on his lips, for when you line up against a crew, you’re really lining up against their drudha. He spat a bit of juice from his chewing and slapped me on the arm.

  “We in’t got a clue ourselves,” said Shale. “You in’t as sorry as we are either but yer a welcome sight the lot of you an’ yer givin’ us a lick of hope where we had none otherwise.”

  “All this chatter’s not getting the field prepared against the likes of him,” said Stimmy. He took a half-handle shovel off his pack and eased the pack off. “Captain?”

  “Stimmy, you’re right of course,” said Achi, “get these boys on some trips and breakers and when you’re done, Roin’s to prepare arrowbags. We’re waiting on a whistle from Danik spotting up there. Got a man up there as well, Wil, both fierce archers.” He pointed to their spots on some rocks high up overlooking the south side of the valley, a good view across the hills to the lake. We hadn’t seen any of them surrounding us and couldn’t see those on high now. Stimmy, Hau and Roin headed off.

  “Could have done wi’ you boys when we were breakin’ out Bense,” said Shale.

  “Araliah told us to keep you safe from ambush, not help you burn a city. This man Kigan and his crew weren’t far behind you,” said Achi.

  “Did they get to Valdir’s family?” I asked.

  “Unlikely, not before us given what passed. We’ve been with you since Cusston, but if Kigan’s who you ran from yesterday I don’t think he could have come from Marola, not without he flew.”

  “Do yer know their strength?” asked Shale.

  “Stimmy was tracking them. Kigan’s got Agents with him, Reds too. You say he killed most of the Twenty?”

  “Yes. Kailen train you himself?” I asked.

  “Aye.”

  “Any of you beat him one on one?”

  He smiled. “What do you think? Look, seems as though you’re making a stand. Good plan and good spot to do it. We tried to take down whatever birds came out of Lake Issan but couldn’t get them all. Post will have men ahead.”

  “What news of this army?” I asked.

  “We know as much as you. I think reports from the borders of the Wildmen making an incursion never causes a stir on the coast, but the more news they’ll be getting, the more they’ll know what’s happening. I expect the Post’s spreading it about the Old Kingdoms as we speak, so it’s about how quick they can mobilise…” He was interrupted by a whistle, Danik giving a wave, a shadow against the silvery stone of the cliff. He signed down.

  “Danik’s saying there’s about forty men must be with that Kigan. We got a few hours. The boys and I would be honoured if you took command.”

  “Shale’s your man, pulled my arse out of the crossroads more times than I could count,” I said. “Sorry I in’t going to be much use prepping the field.”

  They nodded and Shale started off into the trees with Achi to go through their tactics.

  “Some kannab, Gant? I got no betony.” Valdir sat and packed a pipe for us. “You and Shale always were tight, couldn’t see him taking me off to Miri and leaving you holed up somewhere. It’d be leaving you to die in your state.”

  His kannab mix had a sweet taste, something like apple, a smooth draw that settled me a bit.

  “I just wanted you both to have a better chance. I’m dead anyway, Valdir, you got a wife and he got years left.”

  “I didn’t think I’d be getting back to her, not deep in here. I took those gold pieces for her because I knew it.”

  I nodded. I knew it too and was glad he did and could say it. “Why then, Valdir, why come at all? We give you warning though I guess we din’t give you much choice either.”

  “Kailen summoned you, you went. What wouldn’t we do for each other, now as much as all those summers gone in our prime? How many times did we cover each other at a crossroads? It can’t be counted. A bit of me wanted to see Miri again, see what had become of him after being so much a partner with him in the settling of his homeland. Before he was turned by the Post we built something special, we gave his people hope again. Then you came into our house in this fine armour and beautiful fieldbelts and you look strong and you’re rich. You showed me the full colour of what I was, someone fierce, a younger man. It’s hard to say what I mean but I’d been years getting fat and I’m a fisherman, a deckhand. I suppose I felt somehow forgotten.”

  “You’re in love too. We in’t got that and I in’t seen a woman look so much on a man with want as she did for you.”

  He smiled, though his eyes as always seemed to tell a sorrow mixed in. “You’re right, I am in love with her and wouldn’t change it. But we’re in his debt, for everything. Neither of us could do otherwise.”

  He knocked out the pipe we’d done and pocketed it. We didn’t have any fine words as he prepared to leave and give a hand. He clutched my shoulder a moment, then used it to help him get up.

  “Get some rest, Gant. It’s good to be at your side again, brother.”

  I ate something but I was sick after. I dreamed of being in Lagrad, my sister calling me, so loud once I woke with it, thinking she was in the tree above me. The only thing I craved of the dreams that came and went as the night waned were that in them I was whole, though all else were horrors that over the years I committed. In another dream I was at the water well again and those men that survived the drop were screaming for their ma.

  It was daytime, mid-morning. We expected they’d find us, though Achi’s men used the river all the way in so there was a chance Kigan’s men still believed there were only three here from their tracking. I knew Kigan wouldn’t come in at night, it offered us too much cover.

  Kigan’s men would’ve had fieldbelts he’d mixed that were more potent than anything we had, but Achi’s man Roin had give us plant from the Harudanian drudharch that was improved over what we used for sporebags and the like. We been on the same Honour mix all this time, but Achi’s boys were using one that had a cleaner drop, which was a welcome fact to me. They had some seeds mixed with a syrup they give us, said Kailen got them from an emporium in Rhosidia. The syrup made a difference in what followed, give us a chance against Kigan’s powders, and I wished I had known of it previously.

  Achi’s crew were drilled tight by Kailen. Hardly bore saying but there we are. Achi could’ve made the Twenty I’m sure, his boys all up to the job against the Reds, a tight crew to watch.

  We heard the bird chatter increase and knew it was them, tracking up the valley. We were spread on the north side of the river. Danik and Wil were high up, juiced and by Achi’s account fierce shots. The rest of us were spread with the intention that we give a position away so’s they’d believe us three were at one spot, then wait for them to move like a net around it, at which point they hits either traps or else gets ambushed by the four others working in pairs; Roin and Valdir tucked up tight nearer to the waterfall, Stimmy and Hau in the river, under the water and breathing through reeds.

  Of course, it ended up a fucking bloodbath.

  Me and Shale got brewed up and put on masks and specials. Achi had a leaf mix were better than white oak for the eyes that would help with the smoke out of limebags and stop some of the aggravation from the mustard and whatever else was powdered. We were tucked behind a couple of boulders that had a sight through some trees to the river and a clear view along the valley on this bank.

  There was a shout then, echoing heavy but had to be “Masks”. Another one moments later and he was howling out before his scream was muffled. They’d found some traps. A breeze had picked up and the trees were whispering it. There’s more bird calls and then Shale started signing behind his back, for Achi’s benefit. It was hard to feel their movement with the water flowing, it had a strong song, but soon enough we could smell them like I’m sure they could us.

  Three or four we saw moving out of the
trees south and towards the south bank of the river opposite us, looking over in our direction. Achi and Shale were signing, there were five approaching on our side of the river too, downstream of us. It was these we had to drop, to push them over the river and encourage them to form their net. The five moved straight past Stimmy and Hau what were hidden. Wil would put an arrow into the water near them as a sign we wanted them up and at it.

  One of them stopped the others as he saw a trip that he was meant to, stopping where we had a clear shot. Arrows dropped three, the two with shields we made sure of while they had them lowered, and of course they ran around the wire to the wooden spikes were dug into holes there. The spikes got one, slowing him enough to take an arrow from Shale and then the other got poisoned as another arrow sliced his leg. He was doing his best to keep his noise down but he was an easy kill. Course, as Achi moves to get the shot there’s a voice from further along our bank and the arrows started flying. We tried to put some smoke out about our position and we emptied what caltrops we got before us. Then we heard their chain as they no doubt heard our leather, but Shale give a chittering sound for warning and put me sharp against our boulder. There’s a splash on the far side of it, some sharp smell and the faint breath of flames. My skin was itching at once, Shale signing for us to move back to some trees nearby. Achi put some arrows through where the men come from, limebags that sparked more fire up. It was dry weather in these parts and the trees were going to catch.

  We had nothing to counter whatever was in their lime, it was like a frenzy of fire ants on me and I needed a good slap to get my head clear and some oil poured over my throat and face that’d clear it off and coat my skin. If not for the Honour I might’ve lost a bit of flint at that point. Whatever Kigan give them was more than a match for whatever we had.

  More arrows come over from the south bank, the breeze was a fucker for this, spreading their dust about. Achi looked up at Danik and Wil, who were giving signals about positions when they thought there were no eyes on them.

  *Full hoods, one minute* said Shale, counting on them holding off that long for the powders to work into us. We lay against the trunks and counted, listening and feeling for them. There was a disturbance in the water, two, three. I heard those advancing on the north bank, iron armour, Reds. My brew was right in now and I was trying to control my breathing, every piece of the world about me craving attention. The faint whip of arrows and the crackle of air as they flew past us proved they were going heavy on this poison. They followed close enough behind the volleys that Kigan must have give them some plant that made them immune. They were looking to end it quick. At the minute’s end we stripped off the hoods and looked about. As I did I nearly got an arrow, hearing the crack of the bow on the draw. We’re pinned proper, so Shale signed Achi to give word to his boys above us. Danik and Wil lit some big oilbags what they had heavy slings for and these got hurled down at the positions where the arrows been coming at us from. As the bags blew out amid trees and the grasses we leaned out and put some arrows of our own about. I heard two caught, stabbing breaths and slapping each other to get the flames out. I just missed an Agent who ran for the river near Stimmy, another one what were too quick on his brew. Stimmy must have tripped him or he tripped on him for Stimmy broke the surface and broke his neck before jumping for the bank, his bow in his hand. Hau stayed, which was to make a difference shortly.

  There must’ve been a few more on our side of the river for I heard Wil putting arrows down where Stimmy was, about twenty yards off. Danik was dropping all kinds of heavy bags on the trees and riverbank south of us to spoil their view over the water. Brewed up at that height it would take a fierce marksman to land an arrow on Danik, specially as he had a buckler on his bow arm for arrows what might come his way from below.

  Achi broke cover and ran to support Stimmy. I give my eyes a squirt with some oil and then could see Stimmy was engaged hard against a few of them, a crack and ringing of shields, axes and blades.

  Me and Shale tried to pick out the movement among the trees on the south side and put in sporebags where they looked to be hid, to protect Achi’s run. It was coming back with interest though, limebags and all, forcing us to move about. We moved towards Stimmy and Achi. I didn’t know if I could take Reds out in a melee, for all the noisies. Fire was catching good now, smoke making it harder for us to see about. Shale signed for me to keep my bow trained for a shot in the trees on Stimmy’s oppo and he hit the earth and started crawling along. I had to trust the boys high up would have the river covered enough for me to ignore it, but the powders were getting in. I could hear Shale choke some and unstopper a bottle. Despite the oil my eyes were starting up bad. I could see only shadows moving about in the trees ahead. I knew we didn’t have a spear among us so as one of them, covered by a nearer trunk, stepped back to throw one I put an arrow in him. Above me there was a whistle and crack of twigs as an arrowbag blew open over my head. I ran forward, catching Shale just as he rose to join the melee on Stimmy and Achi.

  The stink of paste was strong, like sticking your nose against a diseased dog.

  Achi was at it fierce with an Agent under a tree now burning and filling the air about with smoke. Like us he was only in leathers, relying on his skills and his brew. Both of them had sword and axe. I heard “Five!” and it come from one of the men was on Stimmy, shouting over the river in a panic that there were more of us than was bargained for. They were Reds; shields and platemail and a two-hander, Kigan knowing some heavies would test us what used only the broadsword.

  We closed in, hoping that their own men would be some cause for hesitation from their archers.

  Stimmy give a toothless grin as the Reds closed up but they were clever, moving back towards the edge of the river and into the open. Wil saw the problem and dropped firebags on the trees between us and the shore to stop them and mask our melee from the archers over on the south bank. It was the crossroads for us though, so we just went straight at them. I went at the shield bearer, a scorpion stance swinging down. He brought his blade up but with more speed and force than I expected, pushing me off balance. It did for him though, for he thrust out his shield to put me down but I was falling back and saw the opportunity to kick the edge of his shield, driving the top edge of it into his face. My noisies took over and I brought my blade in at head height. By instinct he parried but he was dazed and with a kick he was open and run through. Shale was having more trouble. This Red was highly skilled in the two-hander. I threw myself at him and Shale took his head off. It flew past me and the eyes met mine for a moment as it did.

  *Poison not working, Reds on Kigan brews not Post brews* signed Shale as we found the cover of a tree. Achi nodded, rising from the body of the oppo he’d got to grappling with.

  *Cuts not slowing them. Fierce plant*

  *We can’t stay in powder and fire* signed Shale.

  Achi risked scaling a bank behind us to get sight of Wil for some tell of their positions over the river. He couldn’t see him. He looked over to Danik.

  *Wil down, Danik pinned. They’re coming*

  My throat was raw now. Whatever Kigan was using was clogging up my mask, my head was pounding with it.

  A tree near us caught and started burning. Over the river there were flickers of orange and the crack of branches we could make out through the smoke, a lot of trees burning over there from the big oilbags.

  A number of men started crossing the river. This was the last play. They must have thought we were the full number, in this one spot. Achi signed for Stimmy to take his bow up the bank, see if he could thin them out now they were in the open. It was a rush though, they were running, a few straight at us from the other bank, a number of splashes further along either side of us. Their net.

  I heard Stimmy’s bow. He got some shots off but a sharp grunt told us he’d been hit. I risked a glance up at him, see if I could do anything for him, but he was led against the bank he was on and he was shaking violently, a grimace as he dealt with his
paying out. He give me a look then, a salute and a sign for how many he saw, doing what he could for our crew in the moment of his death. I signed it to the other two. Achi shook his head; we were feeling dizzy, fuggy with what powders were getting in us. Kigan’s plant was the difference. If not for the plant Achi give us that was new out of the Harudan commune we’d’ve been dead already, even accounting for his crew’s help. I leaned out to get a look at the numbers and their arms and saw Agents and Reds, Kigan still nowhere about, no doubt biding his time, waiting on the odds to shift. Then arrows come in from our right, from up near the waterfall, hitting Kigan’s men as they crossed the river, Agents dropped first. Roin and Valdir saw their move and Roin was shooting at them with a fast, steady flow, while Valdir slung limebags with his one good arm. He was wild on the brew and it was a good feeling to see him tall again. He kept with Roin, who was quick and true with a bow, calm as a cow. The Reds realised they were flanked and picked up speed to get to our side and some cover. I signed we should make our move now as they hit our bank.

  I took up a shield, two or three winters since I last used one in the field, but good for bad odds. Three of us ran at the men who were meeting us head on. I was hoping at least this would stop us being targets for the bowmen over the river. A few of them had turned to go after Roin and Valdir, but there were still ten of them coming at us. Shale and Achi flanked me, off my shoulder so’s I could cover them with the shield. Reds were hurling caltrops in, some knives. One hit Achi but his leathers held and it clipped off him.

  The first Red was looking to buy a moment for his brother to get to my side but I went in with the shield, twisting with it to push his sword out. He was quick to roll it up to a roof stance, but he wasn’t much practised, too formal. I caught his thigh with a thrust and stepped in to crack him one with my head. His nose broke open. I dropped to my knee as his sword come down, stopping it with my own and then bringing my fist in to smash his balls flat. An Agent come in shield-side. He struck down at me with a scimitar while I’m on my knee, his hand digging about in a heavy pouch, something of Kigan’s to put me out no doubt. I launched myself into his legs, rim of the shield out. The blade hit my lower back but near its hilt, which dulled the strike. The rim of the shield hit his knees and he had to step back. I swept my sword in and took his left leg at the shin. In the gap his movement created, his brother behind him put an arrow into me. I tried to twist as I saw what was to happen but it went in at the side of my wamba. He’s drawing the next one quick to end me when Hau must’ve risen from the pool, putting an arrow through his head. Being hidden from the opposite bank by a boulder, Hau put two more arrows through those he could get a shot at as they pushed Achi and Shale back from me. Knowing this was going to be a fierce poison if the arrowhead was coated, and Hau having dropped the oppo on me, I stopped and kneeled and yanked the arrow out of where it was lodged. Edge of it had cut through and I had to thank a magist that it didn’t go in proper. I got the guaia over the wound, poured on the salts and pulled myself back to a tree for protection, seeing a fair scrap being edged by us, though the brew these men were on was something beyond the Honour. It was only our skill and experience, much as Shale said it was back in the Red Hills, that could make the difference over men younger and so much quicker on whatever Kigan give them to drink. The men fighting Shale and Achi were cut down between their blades and Hau’s arrows, and Shale moved off to help Valdir, now engaging with those were on the other side of their net. Achi give a yell and ran to Hau, trying to warn him. I looked over and saw he’d risen to take some more shots over at those bothering Valdir, his focus on the shots complete and so not knowing there were two more moving in from downriver behind him. Hau were cut as he heard Achi and turned to engage them and then, as Achi come in at one, the other killed Hau off, the poison swift in freezing him up.