"Supplies will be a problem," said Plucker. "The quartermaster will not be able to follow for at least a day. We will be engaged with the enemy by then."
"It must be so. We cannot tarry - the Turucks will not wait for us. They will destroy each fragment of Eslenda as it comes to them. Curse Edward for this division of our land. Give this messenger food and drink. He will march with us."
Plucker shouted to the herald who sounded the horns to call the captains to Hal. Hal sent a messenger to Elizabeth explaining his strategy. Hal's energy returned to him as he explained his plans to the captains while he ate. The captains hurried away calling to their men and Hal's army swiftly fell into ranks, ready to march south. Hal gave instructions to the quartermaster and left Bert Kalen to lead the defense of Far Greening. Within two hours, they were ready to march.
Suddenly, there was a shout and Hal was moved aside as an arrow from the castle struck the ground. A note tied to the shaft fluttered in the breeze.
"It's from my wife," Hal grinned. He picked the note off and read it.
"Still getting along?" asked Grawlin.
"If I come back in one piece." Hal kissed the note, waved it at the ramparts and tucked it in his shirt. "Let's ride."
The call echoed down the line and the horses and men started forward at a quick pace. Scouts rode ahead and Plucker and Hal's Guard rode beside Hal. Hal's muscles still ached and the burning in his sword arm was unabated.
Hal tried to envision what waited for them at Riverdowns. He knew the Turucks fielded a large army and if they were too late to save Edward, Cane's army and his army would be undermanned. He fixed his eyes on the horizon where a solitary horseman met his scouts. One of the scouts spurred his horse and rode hard to Hal's position. The scout dismounted and fell to his knees.
"Sire, your brother is dead! The Turucks have taken Riverdowns!"
Hal felt his head reel. A strong hand grabbed his shoulder.
"I am here, Sire," said Plucker. "What is your command?"
Hal refocused and looked Plucker in the eyes.
"We must avenge our people and deliver Riverdowns from the Turucks. Continue our march."
The command was signaled and Hal's army moved forward. Hal kept silent, thinking about his brother, remembering the good times, for there had been many when they were younger. Then the throne became a spike driven between them. Hal taught Edward how to ride, how to use a sword, how to fish. He and Edward roamed the fields around Riverdowns, the young man and the young boy. It had been good times. He hoped he could remember Edward that way.
Later, rider approached from the east. The captains allowed him to approach and as he dismounted Hal recognized him as a cousin of Queen Mary. The man bent to a knee before Hal.
"Arise, Porter Oswald. You are recognized and welcome. What news?"
"King Hal, Charles has a small army waiting to aid you. He sends word that he has a new captain who has information on Tag Makk and the workings of the Turucks."
"Who is this man?" asked Hal.
"Charles wishes to withhold that information at this time, even from you, Sire. The captain's presence may shock Tag Makk and with the Turuck army so large, Charles hopes for surprise to add you."
"How late was this captain with Tag Makk?"
"Even to the fall of Riverdowns. He has firsthand accounts of the deaths of the nobles, even your brother's death. He knows much of Tag Makk's mind and will share all to your advantage. He especially warns of Tag Makk's special fighting squads, the Shadow Runners. They are touched by the Menaloch and do not die as easily as normal men. Ware the shadows! The Turucks flow through the darkness as wraiths. They appear out of nowhere and vanish in the dawn. Make haste while the sunlight lasts. Only the moon's light will reveal them."
"This captain, is he a Turuck?"
"No, Sire. He is a man. What messages should I carry back?" asked Porter Oswald.
"Tell Charles to keep close and alert. I will count on his judgment as to when he enters the battle. I agree that the overwhelming numbers against us mean Charles men must be utilized with care. Let Charles know that Prince James is on a quest with the Nunari to find an ancient weapon said to be able to destroy the Menaloch. Before you scoff, the Daerlan brought tidings of this weapon to the Nunari. We do not doubt its worth. Give Charles my thanks, Porter. We have little food and drink, but take what you need."
"Thank you, Sire, but I do carry enough provisions for myself." He bowed and returned to his horse. As he rode away, Plucker chuckled.
"Hal, you actually trust to Charles' good judgment?"
"Keep your thoughts to yourself, John. Rather, I want to trust in his new captain, whoever he is."
Shouts came up ahead. A group of Turucks attacked the flank. The furious battle proved victorious for Hal as his men drove them off.
Hal and Plucker rode up to the battle scene.
"Turucks?" asked Plucker.
"Yes, Sir Plucker," replied a soldier. "Just regular soldiers, not any of those black men. Still, hard to find amongst the shadows. Weren't sure they were real until my blade bloodied one."
"Good," said Plucker. "But keep a close watch for the Shadow Runners as they call themselves. Dressed in black and faster than a cat. Make sure they are dead before turning your back on them."
"Yes, Sir Plucker."
Plucker found Hal and some guards riding to a rise in the plains with a limited view of Riverdowns. They saw Cane's colors as a small dab of paint on a vast dark canvas while shadows flooded the valley around Riverdowns.
"The Turucks have the bulk of their forces on this side of the river," said Grawlin. "They aren't planning to stay in Riverdowns."
"No," agreed Hal. "I don't see much of Edward's colors down there. I think Cane stands alone. He will be coming this way fast before too long. Send word to the troops. We will pull back as Cane comes forward, but slower. I want to support Cane as he rides for the Turucks will be on his heels. They will come hard and the dawn won't save him."
"Yes sire. Anything else?"
"Have any cold ale on this picnic, Plucker?"
"No, sire. It's still in the cellar, staying cold."
"Good. At least something is as it should be. Although, I could use a mug right now."
Chapter 21
Howard Cane did not like his chances. The Turucks already claimed Riverdowns and sent a rider to offer him a chance to agree to terms with Tag Makk. He sent the rider back with the request to think over the offer. It was simple: join with Tag Makk and live or join Hal and die. Still, to die free was far better than being a slave to a tyrant. If only if was that simple. Even ruling under Tag Makk would allow some benefits. Cane could oppress the people for his new master. Torment his vassals for Tag Makk. Some of them had served his father, and knew Cane all their lives. It would not be as easy as it sounds. What if the Turucks lost power and Cane had to face his vassals again? Then again, the Turucks live as long as Daerlan. He would never see freedom from them in his lifetime.
The rumor of the oppression of Masina and the desert cities had reached him. He knew of the fearsome Shadow Runners and stories of the cruelty of Tag Makk were well deserved. His death could come at a whim. He could only rely on beating the Turucks and the mercy of Hal. King Hal - there was no pretender to the crown now. All Edward's plans came crashing down and Cane was caught in the mess. There must be a way to survive this, but how? Tag Makk does not need to bargain and what do I have to offer?
Cane's army waited on a ridge above the plains south of Riverdowns. He could see the remains of the battle across the river to the gates of Riverdowns. At least the city was not burned. He had heard of Edward's fate and guessed his would be similar if he rejected Tag Makk. Of Edward and his captains, none survived the battle or the judgment of Tag Makk. It was the way of the Turucks to create a void in the leadership of their conquests and place pliable people in control. Cane had a hunch he wouldn't be judged as pliable despite the promises the messengers brought to him.
&nbs
p; He looked long at the fallen city as a Turuck rider made its way through the ranks of Cane's men. The messenger from Tag Makk returned. A Turuck regular soldier, visibly nervous to be so close to the enemy alone, bowed to Cane.
"Tag Makk wishes to know your decision. Ride back with me now, or our soldiers will meet you in the field. You will not survive the battle." He stared boldly at Cane.
Richard Cane whispered to his father. Richard had more Islen in him than Cane, taking after his mother, Margaret. He did have a slight resemblance to his uncle Hal and stood taller than his father. Richard wielded the strong sword arm of the Islen line but he honored his father with his loyalty.
"We do not have the men to defeat them, even with Hal's soldiers. But I do not believe in safe conduct for you, father. The Turucks have killed all the leaders in Masina and Riverdowns."
"I agree with your assessment. Get to the rear of the column; we will need to ride north hard."
"What?"
"I don't believe they will allow us to leave so easily. It will be a running battle."
Richard nodded to his father and to the messenger and moved off.
Howard Cane stared at the messenger, and then looked again to the Turuck army surrounding Riverdowns. He exhaled and rested his hand on his sword hilt.
"I appreciate your leader's offer, but I do not think I shall take it."
The messenger swallowed, eyes darting, gauging the readiness of his opponents.
"Then I salute you as my Master requested should you answer so."
Suddenly, the Turuck leapt forward, thrusting with his dagger but Cane had been ready. His shield blocked the blow, several bows twanged, and the Turuck fell with four arrows in him.
"Ride north!" cried Howard Cane to his captains. Even as he mounted his horse, he saw the hordes of Turucks streaming toward him. They had anticipated his decision!
It would be a race to Far Greening!
Cane moved his cavalry near the back lines to protect the footmen running ahead. The Turucks did not press them except for a few skirmishes that the cavalry repelled. The foot soldiers kept their pace, eating as they marched to the brink of exhaustion. The Turucks did stay close enough that Cane's men could not rest for long. The Turucks seemed content to let Cane meet up with Hal and engage the battle at Far Greening.
Cane urged his men onward as he and the cavalry kept pressure on the advancing Turucks. He knew when the land widened after they passed the forests the land would no longer hold back the Turucks. The valley was wide with defendable positions at the north end but it was a long valley, too long for this race. He prayed Hal had followed them south if only a few miles.
The sun was rising, but Cane knew he could not let his men rest. The valley would be shadowed for hours yet and the Turucks would not stop advancing. He called his captains together to rotate the men so fresh soldiers brought up the rear where the Turucks would engage them in the darkness. It would slow his army down, but would allow the most to survive. If they fled without defending themselves, the Turucks would cut them all down. The night seemed endless as the soldiers trudged forward ceaselessly. Cane was impatient. The cavalry of the Turucks closed in, attacked the rear guard, and faded back into the night. He wanted to push his men faster, but the infantry was exhausted from the forced march. They could go no faster and they were the bulk of his army. He could not send the cavalry on ahead without suffering great losses from the Turuck attacks. He led two sorties to push the Turucks back and it worked for a while.
The left flank of the Turucks pushed forward drawing the horsemen to them. As Cane's horsemen reached the left flank, the right flank surged forward. They were caught in a V-shape and the Turucks tried to close it upon Cane, but his infantry turned and came back to engage the Turucks. Cane himself led the footman against the Turucks. The skirmish slowed Cane's retreat but it could not be helped. A scout rode hard to Cane. He had seen Hal's colors just beyond the western trees. Cane stared at the advancing Turucks, exhaled deeply and decided his men could not make it to Hal without help. The Turucks would reach Hal at the same time Cane did and the ensuing battle would be chaotic. With lesser numbers, the Eslendians had to rely on strategy. They did not have the brute force of the Turucks.
Cane rode on to rally his men forward but kept returning to the rear as the Turucks engaged his men. He was losing a war of attrition. The Turucks could afford to lose more men than he could and they swarmed forward, always another to replace a fallen soldier. Cane had no such luxury.
Cane urged his men to greater speed, but they couldn't disengage from the Turucks. From the eastern trees a rain of arrows fell upon the foremost Turucks, sending them into cover. The barrage continued and Cane wasted no time getting his men moving northward. When the arrows stopped the gap was a hundred yards and Cane hoped it was enough. He gazed over into the trees, wondering who had saved them. He saw the Turucks advancing again and shouted to his men. The race was on!
Charles Oswald signaled his green clad men to pull back deeper in the trees. The Turucks hadn't spotted them yet, although they suspected the direction from which the arrows came. The Turucks resumed their chase of Cane's men and did not send anyone to investigate. Charles suspected the Turucks calculated how many soldiers it took to fire the arrows and decided to deal with the small force later. Still, Charles felt that they accomplished something. He led the archers back to the camp.
"Your men did fine work," said Sir Norman. "Cane's men gained valuable distance." Sir Norman wore his double swords with a light shirt of mail and a steel cap. He did not stand out from the other soldiers. Charles, however, wore gold mail and a winged helm. His burnished shield reflected the sunlight like a mirror.
"The Turucks did not send anyone after us."
"It's not Tag Makk's way. He will crush his opponents as he sees fit. He will not be enticed into a battle on someone else's terms."
"Are you ready to ride, father?"
"Yes, I am. What have you decided?"
"We are too small a force to attack except in surprise. I would like to continue north around the battle when it starts and send Porter to Hal again, letting him know what we plan. I want to hang back until an opportunity appears."
"Good, I think you are right. May I suggest we go north toward Cane's lands? I think the Turucks will catch Cane long before he reaches his lands. Cane will still be in the valley then and I hope merged with Hal. Their combined forces would be able to slow the Turucks, but with the Menaloch driving them, the Turucks will never surrender. We will be position to aid Hal in battle from the northeast. I'm afraid if we stay too far back the Turucks might find us an inviting target and Hal would have to fight through the entire Turuck army to aid us. We shall stay small and unnoticed."
Charles signaled his men and the small company rode up the trail. They would follow the Oswald trails through the forest unseen by the Turucks. Charles kept a scout on the forest edge to watch the progress of the Turucks. Despite traveling in the forest they were able to move faster than the Turucks who battled with Cane's men as they moved forward. Soon Oswald's troop moved well past the fighting and saw Hal's soldiers moving south.
"Excellent," said Sir Norman. "Hal should give the Turucks pause. Was there a tower not far from here?"
"Yes, another twenty minutes we will be there. It's unmanned but mostly in good repair. Cane sends a squad to clean it out twice a year."
"Let's position ourselves there. We can see the battle and send out such help as we can provide. If the battle shifts we shall be able to plan accordingly."
"Father, you never spoke of your years in Anavar. Did you stay around the Koberi Desert?"
"Yes, mostly in Penarol. It was a large enough city and being a port news from Eslenda was easy to obtain."
"Why did you not send any messages to us? We thought Henry had you killed."
"Poor judgment. I thought I was so important that Henry would keep watching for me. It never occurred to me that he didn't care what I would do. He was s
o confident in his abilities that he feared no reprisals. I kept myself out of sight for the first years but as time passed so did my vigilance. The news of Edward and Hal's fighting came south and I had decided to return to set my grandson on the proper path, then Tag Makk attacked Penarol. I trained his soldiers to stay alive and for that training he allowed me to go my own way."
"How could you stand being near that box you spoke of? The whispering of the Menaloch, it sounds like a horror."
"It was a horror. It felt like itchy little ants crawling over your scalp and in your eyes and ears. Discipline. Discipline and training discipline to his soldiers was what I focused on. Otherwise I would have gone insane."
They rode for a while in silence. Charles stole glances at Sir Norman, wondering at the strength of his father, wondering why he inherited so little of that strength. His sister, Mary, exhibited strength of character Charles couldn't begin to emulate. If his father hadn't shown up at the castle gate Charles and his men wouldn't be out here. Charles would be hiding in the castle hoping the Turucks would ignore him if he ignored them. Sir Norman would never allow that.
They reached the tower and setup a temporary camp, one that could be struck in haste should the Turucks decide to overrun their position. Charles stood at the top of the tower watching the battlefield. Hal's soldiers had met Cane's and they moved to create a line to stop the Turuck advance.
"Well, Charles, what are the odds for this battle? The Turucks still have the larger force."
"Hal will rally them, whether by his sword or his heart."
"Yes, curious that. I begin to admire Hal as much as I despised his father. Do you admire him, Charles?"
"I have to; Mary was going to him for safety."
"Hal? Not you? I am disappointed in you Charles, but as long as she is safe, as safe as anyone can be. Do you think she's at Far Greening?"
Charles nodded. "Mary went to Hal because it was what the agreement was for helping her escape. Do not belittle me. Still, I'm glad you came back, father, I am not the man for this war."
The Ghost Of Eslenda (Book 1) Page 20