“I only wish we were able to field our own scouts in the sky,” Aethelstan stated regretfully.
“We will have to be the scouts, even here on the ground,” Cenferth replied gravely. “There are no others, as you have said.”
“And find what we may. If we can find definite signs of the enemy army,” Aethelstan said.
The deep unease continued for about another hour, during the span of which not one word was uttered amongst the Saxans. As if on a collective conscience, they maneuvered their steeds ever deeper into the vulnerable region, riding towards the edge of the forest itself.
If the Unifier’s army were truly near, there would be the signs of scouts or encampments soon enough.
It was not much longer beyond that point when Aethelstan’s instincts screamed out to him, and implored him urgently to stop. Snapping up his right hand, the abrupt gesture was repeated quickly among the group as Aethelstan brought his force to a halt among the shadows of the looming trees.
He believed his inner sense. Dismounting carefully, he guided his steed over to a maple tree and tethered it. The others likewise dismounted with care, each stroking their steeds’ muzzles and speaking soothingly to the edgy horses. They silently awaited Aethelstan’s next instructions.
The stallions shuffled about nervously, ears twitching and nostrils flaring. Aethelstan noticed the breeze coming upon them from the west. His riders were downwind of whatever was agitating the steeds.
The horses continued to whinny and snort, and Aethelstan knew that they could not risk going any farther. Horses were not foolish, and their horses were clearly apprehensive about something troubling that they sensed in the vicinity. A large party could not risk proceeding far beyond their position either. From that point onward, stealth and a limiting of risks was of the greatest priority.
As even the best of the others in the column could only equal Aethelstan and Cenferth in their woodland skills, he deemed it both sensible and honorable that he and his most dedicated warrior should be the ones to explore for nearby signs of the enemy.
Aethelstan stepped without a sound to where the other Saxans were gathered, all of them looking to him expectantly.
“We cannot go farther. Cenferth and I will go forth from here, and be as light of presence and silent as we can,” Aethelstan informed them in a low voice. “Remain here with the steeds, and keep them as quiet as you can. If you are attacked, do not be foolish and forget why we have come here. Seek to get to our forces to warn them. They will need to know what we face. The fate of our army on the Plains of Athelney, and our home villages and burhs, depend on it.”
Aethelstan let his stare weigh heavy on the others, to reinforce the solemnity of his words. He knew that he was asking a very difficult thing of the warriors, who would not hesitate to fight to the last around their beloved leader. Even so, notions of a warrior’s personal honor had to be subordinate to the greater task for which they had all come.
Aethelstan lifted his leather shield strap over his head, grabbing the long, triangular shield and leaning it up against the same tree that his horse was tethered to. Removing his mail shirt to a cascade of light, metallic clinks, he rolled it up slowly, and placed it near the back of his horse’s saddle. He also removed his iron helm, affixing it temporarily by the chinstrap off of the pommel.
The countless hours, days, and years that he had spent traveling and hunting amid the woodlands would now govern the best protection that he could have.
With the others standing guard around the horses, Aethelstan and Cenferth stepped lightly off into the forest. Having hunted often together in the forests of Wessachia, Ealdorman Morcar’s lands, they were very adept at moving without giving off sound. They knew each other’s tendencies well, and could easily convey plans or wishes with a simple glance or gesture.
With nimble footing and close attention to their surroundings, they made excellent progress, until the sporadic sounds of some foliage rustling and the crunching of dry leaves and twigs on the ground reached their ears.
Upon the very first hint of the intrusive sounds that broke the stillness of the forest, Aethelstan was already moving to the side of a particularly large elm tree, and lowering himself down into a crouch. Looking to the side, he saw that Cenferth had done likewise, and they held themselves as still as the high trees around them. Aethelstan gestured just ahead of their position, a little to the left, as Cenferth nodded his agreement with the thane’s assessment.
The noises indicated that something was just about to break into view, just a short distance away from them. The two men watched carefully, their eyes fixed upon the trees and ground before them. Aethelstan drew upon his hunting skills, attenuating himself to a fixed, forward stare that took in the full range of his peripheral vision.
The first signs of movement riveted his focus fully upon the disturbance.
A few great black shapes padded across the ground, less than a hundred feet ahead of where he and Cenferth were hiding. The feline creatures moved effortlessly, bounding lithely over any fallen trees with nary a sound. With each burst of motion, they landed in perfect balance upon their wide paws.
The sounds of rustling leaves and scraping brush came from the movements of their handlers, who walked a short distance behind the massive cat-like beasts. They held onto long tethers, gripping them tightly in the elongated, slender fingers of their left hands. In their right hands, they grasped the hilts of long, tapering daggers, with no crossguards.
Aethelstan and Cenferth looked in wonder at the non-human handlers and the powerful creatures that they tended.
The heads of the bestial handlers were like that of some huge rat, with beady, dark eyes and long, tapering snouts. They had long tails, with arms and legs that were skinny in proportion to their bodies. Wherever their dark, waist-length tunics did not cover them, thick, coarse black fur could be seen.
The large cat-like beasts at the end of the tethers moved without any hindrance from their great body mass. With broad chests, stout legs, and massive heads carried high, the latter prominently displaying wicked-looking canines protruding several inches downward, the creatures exhibited a slight slope from their head to their hindquarters. Their stout bodies seemed to be made of solid muscle, as evidenced by the rippling, pulsing bulges just underneath their lustrous coats of dark fur.
There was a pattern to their movements. After a number of steps, the handlers would come to a sudden halt. Both the rat-men and the beasts would sniff at the air, and look all around them. Aethelstan uttered a silent prayer of thanks that they were downwind of the creatures, for he had little doubt that they would have easily picked up the scent of the two humans had it been otherwise.
Aethelstan and Cenferth dared not let even the sound of a breath escape them, as the terrifying creatures passed disconcertingly close by. Each moment seemed to take an eternity as they were condemned to endure a nerve-fraying state of mind.
The first of the cat-beasts showed no hesitation as they walked right in front of the tree that Aethelstan was hiding behind. As the creature passed, Aethelstan hoped desperately that there were no changes in the wind.
The extended canines descending from their upper jaws were veritable sabers, and the glint off of their powerful, horrifically sharp claws gave more than a hint as to what the monstrous cats were capable of.
Just one of the formidable creatures would be more than a match for both Aethelstan and Cenferth, even with coats of mail on their bodies and shields in hand. No less than four of the beasts passed by slowly, within only a few scant feet of the Saxans. Remaining rigid and frozen, they anxiously suffered their unwanted vigil as the creatures moved beyond them.
The light that reached the forest floor through the small breaks in the tree canopy overhead flickered rapidly, as patches of darkness flitted briskly across the forest floor. Aethelstan looked up slowly, bringing his gaze about just in time to see the signs of a large Harrak-mounted patrol as it passed overhead.
Th
e sky patrol’s presence did not worry him. Underneath the trees, pressed close to the trunks, there was little chance of Aethelstan and Cenferth being seen from above.
It still did not lessen the heightened tension that both of them were feeling, with impending threats of discovery both in the air and upon the ground. Aethelstan chanced a glance toward Cenferth, and could see the fear shining in the other’s eyes. Discovery at the moment meant assured death.
There was little that the two Saxans could do, other than to endure. Aethelstan took long, slow breaths to offset the constriction he felt, as he watched the rat-men guide the cat-like beasts onward, until they finally disappeared among the trees towards the south. Cenferth and Aethelstan sustained their composure and posture, despite the visual absence of their enemies. The thane was simply glad that the rapid beating of their hearts could not disrupt the deathly silence all around them.
At the same time, Aethelstan knew that they had made their own confirmation. The foreign creatures moving about the woods in a patrol-like formation, shadowed by the sky patrol above, left no doubts in Aethelstan’s mind regarding Saxany’s enemy.
After several more nerve-wracking minutes, Aethelstan finally gave Cenferth the signal to begin their retreat. He knew that they would need to move very cautiously away from their hiding spots, while keeping their attention focused on the areas where the enemy creatures had been sighted.
They had to be ready to fall to the ground at the slightest hint of motion or rustling of the underbrush. The scouts and cat-beasts could double back, without giving any significant warning, and could well catch the two Saxans stranded out in the open.
Aethelstan nodded towards Cenferth, and both men slowly began to rise up from their low crouches. Suddenly, Aethelstan froze, as he heard a light disturbance off to their right.
Something else was heading their way.
His hopes plunged.
Cenferth’s eyes were looking off to the left, where the prior group of enemy scouts had just gone. It was fortunate, as he was looking right in the direction of Aethelstan when the thane abruptly held up his hand, and signaled forcefully towards Cenferth to get back down and take cover immediately.
The two men hastily sank back into low crouches, their forms once again masked by the large tree trunks.
Aethelstan’s ears had not tricked him. Barely a moment later, two more of the rat-men accompanied by cat-beasts emerged into view from the right. If he had not heard the faint sounds of their movements, he and Cenferth would have been caught in the open, as the oncoming pairs walked with even softer steps than had the preceding group of scouts.
The thane’s keen instincts had proven true once again. Cenferth had lowered himself just in time, and had adjusted his position wisely, as the path being taken by the scouts brought them a little closer to the tree where he was hiding. Had he not been in his full crouch, the approaching creatures would have easily noticed him.
No commotion or outcry arose, much to their relief, and they waited silently until the two enemy scouts were past them. The scouts did not pause, continuing steadily forward in the same general path that their brethren had taken. The two men lingered for several long and agonizing moments, with nothing but the lonely stillness of the forest surrounding them.
Aethelstan finally decided to risk movement once again. Signaling to Cenferth, he slowly backed away from the tree, while keeping his eyes looking both left and right. His ears strained to hear the slightest crack of a twig, or singular crunch of a leaf, his muscles poised to react swiftly.
With methodical, cautious steps, they painstakingly moved away from their hiding spots. After covering a short distance, they turned fully, and continued more rapidly on their way back to the rest of their group. They kept their silence assiduously, and were extremely deliberate in their footing until they were far away from where they had encountered the rat-men and the cat-beasts.
Though desiring to break out into a loping run, Aethelstan maintained the orderly pace. It required tremendous discipline, as eager as he was to gain distance and bring the valuable word of the enemy back. Reason prevailed, as there was no way of telling how many scouts there were in the vicinity, or even if the few that they had sighted might be part of a larger war-band.
After what seemed like an eon had passed, they reached the location where their horses were tethered. Their arrival surprised their own men, who whirled about with swords in hand.
“It is us, we have returned,” Aethelstan quickly said, as they came into sight. The anxiety-ridden faces of the men around them relaxed, relief flooding their countenances, as Aethelstan turned back to Cenferth.
“It is as we feared,” he continued, finally able to speak aloud to his companion. He raised his voice enough so that he could relate the essence of their discovery to the others who were gathering around, pressing in close. “There can be little doubt that the enemy army will come right through this area. They are scouting and patrolling our borders. That is the act of a significant force. Some may say that it was foolhardy to take the risk that we did, yet I am glad that we did so. But I do not know what kind of creatures those were, back there. Our enemy is full of surprises indeed.”
Looks of puzzlement arose upon the others’ faces.
“Rat-men, handling great predatory cats, of a like that I have never before seen,” Aethelstan added gravely, as several eyes widened. “It is not just a human army that we will face. We must make sure that all are alerted, and prepared for this reality.”
Cenferth replied heavily, “Then we must return with haste.”
“Yes, we must,” Aethelstan agreed, though one last favor remained left for him to accomplish. It was a point of honor that he intended to fulfill by himself, now that their aims had been achieved. “But I must warn the Woodsman. This army will march right through these lands, and will find him… and I consider him a true friend. I cannot leave a friend so exposed.”
“My lord, forgive me, but should we not return to our forces?” Cenferth asked, plaintively. “We need you there.”
“Go and take most of the others with you, but I must now keep my word to a good man,” Aethelstan instructed Cenferth, while moving over to his horse. He began to unroll the mail shirt, donning it before retrieving his helm and shield. Putting on his helm, and slinging the shield across his back again, he remounted his steed. “Just remember this. If I did not keep my word, I would not be any kind of man that you would find need of.”
Cenferth’s morose expression showed that he did not fully agree with Aethelstan, but the warrior knew better than to question or argue with the man that he had pledged himself to.
Aethelstan gripped the reins of Wind Runner. It felt reassuring to feel the saddle under him once again, even though he knew that the massive cats could easily run down a horse in the narrow confines of the thick woodlands.
All of his men volunteered to accompany him, but he was not about to take a large escort. He designated a very select few of his household guard to accompany him, bidding the others to go with Cenferth back to the Saxan camp.
The men assigned to go with Cenferth, having heard Aethelstan’s tidings, accepted their charge well enough and did not voice objection. The sooner that they returned, the sooner that their fellow Saxans could brace themselves, and prepare for what was to come.
Aethelstan gently patted the neck of the gray stallion, and said consolingly, “Wind Runner, it is not yet time for us to go back. We must keep a promise.”
As if understanding him, the horse started to trot back along the trail at the first nudge from Aethelstan. Its own unease spurred it forward more quickly than Aethelstan wanted, causing him to rein the steed in a little.
Aethelstan’s selected warriors fell in behind him on their mounts, as they settled into a steady pace. The light of day had already reached its apex, and the sun was now beginning its long and slow descent through the later afternoon towards night. Soon the growing shadows would begin to permeate the woods, l
owering the already dim ambience under the trees even further.
Seeing what he had seen, Aethelstan wanted to be back in the camp when night settled in full. He doubted that any of his men thought any differently, even if they had not beheld the sharp, long daggers coming down from the upper jaws of the massive cats. The raw, frightening image was emblazoned upon his mind, and he did not think that it would fade anytime soon.
Aethelstan and his men rode in disciplined silence among the trees, proceeding towards the demesne of the reclusive woodsman Gunther. Left to his thoughts, the thane simply hoped that Cenferth and the others made it safely back to the main encampment. Both of their groups had important warnings that needed to be conveyed.
JANUS
Janus sat idly, long after the mysterious youth had disappeared. The peaceful scene around him had continued unabated, with no sight or sound of anyone else.
Were it not for the great shadow that snapped his consciousness to a full, wary alertness, he might well have opted to fall asleep underneath the sparkling night sky. The vast form that crossed overhead was like a complete blotting out of the bright moonlight, thrusting Janus into the icy chill of a deep darkness that settled over his heart. He shivered as he stared up into the sky, the sense of serenity that he had been enjoying now shattered.
It looked as if a solid black cloud was spread wide above him, but then some light crept around the edges of the great shape. Outlined in moonlight, the form looked to be a winged body, with an elongated tail. It moved too swiftly in the light breeze of the night, and Janus knew without a doubt that what he gazed upon was no cloud.
He scrambled to his feet as his heart jumped and began to thunder within his chest. Every inch of his being screamed out a dire alarm. A second massive form followed the first, bearing the same ovular outline of a head, a lengthy body with unimaginably broad wings, and an extended tail trailing behind. His body constricting rapidly with fear, Janus recognized the presence above of two mammoth creatures, even as several frantic cries arose from the village warriors serving on the night’s watch.
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