Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane)

by Thomas Rath

  He pushed away the sleep that was attempting to overcome him and called to the wind quickly, sending himself out with it along the plains toward Haykon. He passed the first relief party and felt somewhat heartened by their proximity but knew that it would still be many hours before they reached the wall. Continuing on he saw the second party and then a third newly gone from the city before he reached Haykon and made his search for Tam. This time he found her and Jack together in the practice ring that had been built onto the back of the colonel’s quarters at the city center. Tam had just blocked a fierce over the head strike. Going with Jack’s momentum instead of resisting it she guided his sword down as she sidestepped the attack and twisted around to his back. Pulling her sword with her she could have easily buried her fist into his face but pulled the punch at the last moment. He would have loved to have had the luxury to just sit and watch her.

  “Hello, Thane,” she said, stepping back from Jack’s continued advance and bringing their practice to a halt.

  “Where?” Jack said, putting down his practice sword and then turning his eyes to where Tam pointed.

  Thane didn’t waste time on pleasantries, going right to the heart of the matter. He quickly told her about the battle at the wall and their casualty list. “We have thirty-eight able bodied men to hold the wall until the first relief gets here. The wounded will be sent back as soon as they are able to travel.”

  “Any sign of Jne and her folk yet?” Jack asked.

  “No,” Tam repeated the answer, catching the tinge of worry in Thane’s voice.

  “How about the numbers at the wall,” Jack continued. “Is a hundred men enough or should we send more?”

  “He says a hundred are enough,” Tam answered, “as long as you keep them coming. They were caught off guard with the first attack but he feels that with the supply line secure and advancing every twelve hours that that should sustain them as long as nothing surprising happens.”

  Jack just nodded his agreement tugging on his beard as he did so.

  “I must return,” he said to Tam.

  “Are you both still well?” she asked quickly before he could retreat.

  He smiled weakly. “We are unharmed,” he said, though he didn’t add that the odds were against either of them making it back to see her in person again. Neither did he tell her that he would count his life cheap in the effort to get Dor back into her arms. He took strength in the smile of contentment mixed with concern that flashed across her pretty face as he called the wind to return him to his body.

  Dor was watching him as he came back to himself and smiled. “So how was it?” he asked.

  Thane shrugged. “Fine. Nothing new.”

  Dor looked as if to ask something more but then seemed to change his mind.

  Thane smiled slightly, understanding what was going through his head. “Tam looks good. She looks to be getting stronger every time I see her.”

  Satisfied, Dor just smiled and nodded.

  Returning to the wall, they watched as the smoke continued curling up into the sky. Thane directed the wind up the pass to keep the smoke’s choking stench and stinging ash pushed back away from the guard and heading toward the enemy. They all knew that once the fires died the assault would resume so they took full advantage of the respite they’d been given. Once everyone had eaten and returned to the parapet, a guard was set to watch so the rest could drift off to sleep where they were stationed.

  The day wore on without another attack as the fire continued to burn. Near sunset, the flames and smoke had dwindled a great deal and all knew that another attack could come at any moment. But into the night they still waited. Before the sun had set, Thane had chanced a ride into the pass to spy out what was going on and found their foe waiting, as they did, but in a way that suggested they were expecting something. He did not push on further, content to know that they were still in the pass and had not turned to leave.

  He looked out toward the plains with anticipation, knowing that their reinforcements should not be too many hours away. Dor and most of the men on the wall were curled in their blankets sleeping, some snoring rather raucously. He knew that he too should be resting but his mind was occupied with Jne. After he’d ventured down the pass he turned back to the plains and made a quick search but still found nothing. Where was she? Had she forsaken them, throwing off her responsibility as Jinghar? He cast aside the thought as soon as it entered his mind. Nothing short of death would keep her from returning. He knew that. He knew her honor would allow nothing less.

  The idea that she was dead entered his thoughts like an unwelcome guest, slithering in and corrupting his mind with its wicked assumptions and demands. He fought it and the despair it brought knowing in his heart that it was a lie. But if a lie, why then had she delayed her return?

  The sound of drums pushed back the thoughts that were already forming as he turned and searched the darkness beyond. Something was happening, but the enemy was too far back in the shadows for him to see. Softly nudging Dor with his foot, he woke his friend who quickly jumped up by his side. Hearing the drums sound he didn’t need to ask why he’d been awakened and started searching with Thane. Already the guard was waking those along the wall who were now taking their positions, waiting for another advance. The drums beat on but did not get closer as they did the night before. This time a strange sound replaced them, growing louder as it approached. It sounded much like a squeaking cart.

  “I see it,” Dor suddenly announced. Thane nodded his head seeing it as well. “What is it?”

  Thane shook his head. “I can’t tell yet, but whatever it is it seems as high as the wall.” The shape filled most of the pass as it creaked ever closer, its sides pressing near to the mountain walls.

  Dor suddenly gasped. “I don’t believe it. It’s a moving tower.”

  Thane’s face blanched as he ran over to report their findings to Dainz. “What is it?” the captain demanded.

  “Some sort of tower being pushed forward,” he answered. “It reaches up to the same height as the wall. I have never seen anything like it.”

  Dainz nodded. “Siege engine. I wondered how long it would take them to bring one up.” Dainz rushed to the other edge of the wall and called down to the waiting soldiers below. “Prepare to fire the catapult.” Rushing back to Thane he peered into the night but was still unable to see the approaching tower. “I need you to tell me how close they are and how close we come to hitting it.”

  Thane nodded, understanding what the captain had planned. “How far can the catapult shoot?” he asked.

  Dainz looked at him for a moment and then turned back to the far edge of the wall. “Fire!” he called. The men below released the latch allowing the catapult’s arm to swing forward sending the boulder well over the wall and into the pass beyond. Thane tracked its flight, watching it sail into the pass until all heard it suddenly hit rock and shatter against the right side of the mountain.

  Thane turned to the captain. “You have to move it to the center to make it go any further.”

  Dainz shook his head. “We can’t, unless we want to cut off our retreat. How close will the siege engine get to us before we can hit it?”

  Thane turned back to the pass and judged the best he could the distance between the wall and where the rock had hit. “I’d say about thirty yards.”

  “That’s cutting it really close. How much more until it’s within range?”

  Thane looked out again. “Soon.”

  “How about bow range?”

  Thane shrugged. “I’d say it was in range now.”

  Dainz bit his lip. He didn’t want to use up the rest of their arrows, but if the siege engine made it to the wall, the fight might be over. “Prepare fire arrows!” Gathering what were left, his men quickly tied cloth over the arrowheads and then soaked them in the vats of remaining oil.

  The tower’s creaking wheels grew ever louder as the machine continued its long, slow approach. Along the wall the soldiers returned to the
ir posts as they finished preparing the remaining arrows for ignition.

  As the last man was set, Dainz called out his order. “Light your arrows.” The men closest to the fires dipped their arrows into the flames and then turned to light the arrow of the man standing next to him. The wall suddenly lit up all down the line as the men readied to shoot.

  There was only a brief pause before Dainz gave the word. “Fire!”

  The air whistled with the blazing arrows as they arched in flight towards their intended target briefly lighting the canyon floor as they sailed deep into the pass. The men watched anxiously, as the fires dimmed in the distance until they heard the distinct thump, thump, thump, of arrows striking wood echoing back. Some of the arrows dropped short and others went long, while some snuffed out before reaching their goal, but at least five stuck to the tower, their flames marking it as it moved forward. All held their breath as they watched in anticipation, willing the flame to spread quickly and engulf the cursed thing. But, one by one, the lights flickered and then went out.

  “Shall we fire another volley?” a man close to the captain asked.

  Dainz paced back and forth for a short moment, biting his lip as he contemplated their best move. “Must be doused with water. Hold for now,” he called and then turned to Thane. “How close to catapult range are they now?”

  “Still about fifty yards, I would guess.”

  “All right. We wait for them to come into range, but we need to make it count.”

  Thane understood the urgency of the situation. He’d not seen a siege engine before but it was easy to figure out its purpose. Even now he could make out the mixture of goblins, orcs, and trolls that infested the innards of the tower, their lust for blood sending them into a wild frenzy. He could now see that the tower was actually at least ten feet taller than the wall and that the top held a group of orcs milling about behind a metal shield. Just below it, a bridge was pulled up to almost vertical. He could tell that it must be covering an opening, behind which waited the enemy, anxious for their chance to rush onto the wall. The soldiers would be hard pressed should it reach them and be allowed to hurl up its cargo. He continued to watch as the monstrous machine inched ever closer to the mark.

  “They’re likely to have ladders and hooks with them,” Dainz called to the men, “So hold your positions. We don’t want to be flanked on the wall because everyone has bunched to the middle. Dor, you and three other men take up the arrows and position yourselves evenly along the wall. Take a brand of fire with you to light them. If the catapult doesn’t stop it, I want you to fill it full of fire arrows. See if you can’t get some inside for I fear the outer walls will be too wet to ignite.” Dor smiled and nodded, pointing out three soldiers for the task. “Thane,” Dainz continued, “how close?”

  “About twenty yards more.”

  Everyone waited, listening to the wheels creak ever louder as the massive machine continued its slow and steady approach.

  “Arrows!” Thane suddenly shouted as a cloud of them came flying over the wall taking down five desperately needed fighters.

  “To the wall!” Dainz shouted as another volley flew over. Men squeezed themselves against the parapet as close as they could as more arrows continued to land around them. There was a shout from below as one of the men assigned to work the catapult took an arrow in the gut.

  The arrows kept coming and Thane found that he could no longer look over the parapet to determine the catapult’s distance without the risk of taking an arrow to the head. Recognizing the same dilemma, Dainz took a chance and shouted, “Fire the catapult!”

  Suddenly another huge boulder went flying into the pass and they all prayed to their gods that this one would find its mark. In moments the sound of rock breaking on rock echoed back in failure.

  “Reload,” Dainz shouted, “and prepare to fire again!”

  Thane knew that the situation was becoming desperate, but the arrows kept hailing down around them and trapping them against the wall. “Hold!” he cried out.

  Dainz looked over at him but didn’t voice any objection to his countermand.

  “Wait a moment,” he assured and then closed his eyes. His spirit drifted up and over the wall, turning just in time to see the arrow shoot through him. He reacted to it but quickly realized that it had caused no injury simply passing through and breaking against the far wall. Concentrating his gaze on the tower, he saw that the orcs on the top were the ones firing the arrows. If they could connect with a shot from the catapult, it should free the rest of them to fight at the wall. It was at least ten yards out of range. He looked down at Dainz who was still staring at his body, the sweat forming on his face. The captain suddenly looked back to the edge of the wall where the catapult waited for the command to fire. Thane glanced back to the tower. Five more yards. Hold, he thought, wanting to shout so Dainz would hear him. Dainz looked back at Thane’s body and then turned back to the catapult. Almost there. The tower lurched forward quickly covering the last two yards bringing it into range. Thane dropped into his body and shouted, “Now!” just as Dainz’s voice yelled, “Fire!”

  The catapult released, sending yet another large rock flying high over the wall and into the pass. The soldiers held their breath but this time the sound that reverberated back was much different from the previous launches. Cracking wood and screaming bodies rent the air as the boulder connected with the top of the tower. Thane looked over to find the place where the orcs had stood firing their arrows only moments before was now almost completely gone. The men cheered, but the creaking tower wheels didn’t halt. It still moved ahead.

  “Fire again!” Dainz shouted, but the catapult was still being cocked and loaded. Thane watched the siege engine moving forward, suddenly seeming to gather speed to close the gap between it and the wall and he knew that the catapult would be useless now against the tower. Even if they did get off another shot it would fly right over.

  He shook his head at Dainz who seemed to have guessed their dilemma as he shouted out another order. “Prepare to fire,” he shouted. Dor and the other three men quickly lit their arrows.

  The tower suddenly came to a halt not ten feet from the wall. The men were ready with the oil, but no combatants came close to the wall. All eyes turned to the siege engine. There was a slight pause and then the bridge suddenly dropped, crashing down onto the parapet. A mad rush of rock trolls poured out. Four flaming arrows hissed through the air embedding themselves in the chests of the first two attackers. Dor and his companions shot again aiming for the drier wood inside the tower but their arrows kept hitting trolls as they came rushing across the bridge. Some of the soldiers started moving toward it, eager to help the fighters there but Dainz shouted for them to hold their positions. “Ready with the oil should they come to the wall with their ladders and hooks,” he shouted.

  Thane suddenly found himself in a desperate battle along with two other men as they met the onslaught from the bridge. Working his sabers in a tight flow to avoid injuring those fighting nearby, he met the first troll with three quick slices to its legs as it towered over him preparing to jump down. Almost completely severing one leg, the troll fell back into the one coming up behind taking both off the bridge. But they were immediately replaced by two more.

  Dainz shouted to Dor and his archers encouraging them as they continued to fire at the tower taking out the enemy but still unable to ignite the wood inside. Though unable to do as they planned, their continued fire was at least keeping the trolls from crossing the bridge in mass and overpowering the defenders.

  Thane ducked under a swinging club as a troll bore down on him. Rushing forward, he came up behind it as it jumped from the bridge and onto the wall. But before it could turn, Thane had buried one of his swords into its back and then twisting quickly removed it while swinging around and taking the troll’s head with his other. Turning back he was immediately met by another troll, but this one was planted firmly and in mid swing for his head. Thane dropped to the ground, t
he club just missing him. Rolling over he crossed his swords and thrust them up just catching the club as the troll brought it down. On his back, as he was, there was not much he could do. Straining against the troll he saw in the corner of his eye its foot lift from the ground as if it meant to crush his head. He tried to move away, but the force of the club kept him pinned.

  Suddenly the troll jerked backward, its club rising up. Thane jumped to his feet and turned burying both swords into its gut. It was then he noticed the arrow protruding from its neck. It was dead before he stabbed it. Dor was then by his side dropping his bow and pulling his swords. Thane nodded his thanks.

  “We’re out of fire arrows,” he panted, as they both cut into another troll making its way across the bridge. “We’re done for.” Without the added firepower from the archers, the trolls started pouring unchecked across the bridge. No longer could the few men stationed there hold back the assault.

  “To the bridge!” Dainz yelled, understanding the desperate situation in which they found themselves. The remaining soldiers left their posts along the wall and rallied to the aid of those who were quickly being overrun at the siege tower. The battle became fierce as man, Chufa and troll fought for control. But there seemed to be no end to the trolls that kept pushing across the bridge anxious to overtake the wall. Dainz’s men were starting to give way, too many dropping as bit by bit the trolls gained a hold on the wall. They were in a desperate situation and something had to change quickly if they were to survive.

  Thane swung out with his swords taking down two trolls before turning his attention to another. Dor, fighting next to him, dropped his opponent with a quick cut to the hamstring and then another slice to the neck as it fell.