by Alan Black
Durrban stepped up next to them. He dropped his sword and stretched his hands out, palms down. He was a new green order acolyte having barely begun in his studies of magic, but the grass wavered around them as he used what little talent he had. The air shimmered slightly. With a sudden push, he thrust the magic he had just gathered back down the sloping hillside.
The sauruses were moving up the slope faster than Tanden hoped, but the ground was already slick with rain. Normally surefooted, the giant lizards’ paws began slipping in the wet grass as if it was ice. The beasts, struggling to keep upright, faltered and stumbled.
Durrban shrugged and leaned down to pick up his sword. A fully trained green wizard or magician could have drawn enough magic from the grassy slope and the surrounding trees to throw up a barrier to block the advancing Hummdhars. Even a green priest could have gathered and condensed enough magic to splash the saurus, confounding the creatures, causing them to bound away in panic.
The older Holdenite had done as much as he could with his magical talent and the few lessons he had received. That small bit was enough to cause the sauruses to stumble and the riders to lose their seats. Tanden was pleased with any advantage he could get.
Raising the bow, he drew it to its full strength. Setting his aim on Seekin, the middle rider, he let it fly. A gust of wind pushed the arrow off course, yet it sunk a full third of its length into the broad chest of the saurus to the right. The saurus crumpled. Its head sunk slowly to the ground. Its broad body followed, somersaulting noiselessly over the Hummdhar rider. Neither saurus nor man moved again.
Tanden was unaware he had done any more than hit a target. He re-aimed and again let fly at Seekin. His third arrow was airborne before his second arrow passed harmlessly by both riders and sauruses. He set his feet and braced his body against the coming blow from the charging sauruses. He had tightly strapped his shield, with its pointed buckler, to his left hand for defense. His bow held in his right. Neither weapon was an appropriate close range defense against the saurus thundering toward him.
Tuller stepped next to him, gripping a short sword tightly in his hand. Durrban wore a grim look on his face. He gripped his sword tightly in his fist. Seenger cocked his arm back ready to throw his spear at the last possible moment.
At the sound of a whirring noise behind him, Tanden glanced over his shoulder. Gadon and I-Sheera spun slings above their heads. Both let loose their rocks at the same time. Gadon’s rock shot straight up into the sky, thumping harmlessly back into the soft dirt. I-Sheera’s shot slapped hard into the nose of the saurus on the left. The startled saurus shied sideways into Seekin’s saurus. Dirt and mud on the slippery slope gave way under their feet. Tangled up with each other, they slid and tumbled to the ground, spilling their riders into the wet grass.
Seenger, Tuller, and Durrban rushed forward as one, weapons at the ready.
Tanden shouted to Gadon, “Flank them.”
Tanden circled to the right and I-Sheera followed him. He pulled another arrow from the quiver and notched it to the string.
Seekin rolled quickly to his feet, sword in hand. The other rider was half a step too slow and found Seenger’s spear pushed through his midsection. Durrban’s quick stroke finished the man. They turned to see Tuller and Seekin standing face-to-face, sword-to-sword.
“Cowards,” Seekin taunted them, “It takes six of you against one lone man? Don’t you have the courage to face me one-on-one?”
The sauruses, unhurt, rolled to their feet.
“Grab the sauruses,” Tanden called without taking his eyes off Seekin. The Hummdhar feinted a lunge at Gadon as he darted toward the sauruses. Tuller, Seenger, and Durrban had him corralled, but they did not move forward because the little barbarian’s sword seemed to flash everywhere at once.
Gadon grabbed the halter of one saurus, holding the beast steady. I-Sheera managed to get one hand on the halter of the other saurus as it shied away from her. Refusing to release her hold, it tossed her through the air, swinging the woman’s feet in a wide arc. She held on tight. Her feet hit the wet grass and slid as the saurus backed away. The woman balled her free hand into a fist and slammed it onto the nose of the wild-eyed lizard.
“Stop it,” she shouted. The saurus stopped in its tracks, shivering, but it obeyed.
Tanden wondered where she had learned to control the giant lizards with such authority. He shook his head, clearing the thought. Now wasn’t the time.
“Come on, cowards,” shouted Seekin. “Who will be the first to die?”
Tanden cut short further taunts as his arrow burrowed deep into the man’s chest. Seekin looked down at the arrow fletchings protruding from his chest. Tanden walked up to him and took his sword from his hand as the dying man waved it weakly at him.
Tanden said, “Coward or not, I don’t care what you think of me.” Placing his left hand on the arrow shaft for stability, he slashed the sword blade deeply against the Hummdhar’s throat. As the barbarian’s weight fell to the ground, Tanden’s grasp on the arrow shaft drew it from the dead man’s body.
Putting the arrow back into his quiver, Tanden said, “That’ll teach me to finish a job the first time. We don’t have time to spare, my friends. The rider he sent back will bring more Hummdhar warriors. Gather what we can quickly.”
Tanden untied the sword sheath from Seekin’s waist and strapped it on. Neither Seekin nor the rider Seenger killed were archers. Tanden trotted over to the third dead man. He was disappointed to find a broken bow, but satisfied he was able to add more arrows to his quiver. There was nothing else of any use on the dead man.
Durrban mounted the saurus Gadon captured and moved to hold the head of I-Sheera’s saurus as she awkwardly climbed aboard. She held the reins tightly in both hands. Durrban talked quietly to her in a calming tone as they rode over to Tanden who was looking around the dead saurus for any weapons the rider had dropped.
Gadon and Tuller trotted up to the group. Tanden turned to look for Seenger. The ogre was already lumbering up the hill toward the edge of the forest. Gadon whipped out a short knife and without hesitation, slashed into the flank of the dead saurus.
I-Sheera turned her eyes away from the butchery.
Tanden asked, “What in the names of the six moons are you doing?”
His arms already bloody to the elbows, he looked up at Tanden. “Fixing a fine midday meal, if we ever get a chance to build a fire.”
“Or even if not,” Tuller added. Tuller stripped the tunic off the dead man and tossed it to Gadon.
The heavyset man wrapped two large bloody chunks of saurusmeat in the shirt, tied the shirt securely, and tossed the bundle up to Durrban.
Tanden said, “Two of us should ride each mount. The remaining two can run. As the runners tire, they can trade places with a fresh rider. We won’t travel as fast as our pursuers, but it’s the best we can do with what we have available.”
Tuller said, “I’m fresh enough. Seenger and I can run. But first, we have a small message to leave for those who follow us.” He stepped over to the dead man, raised his sword high and chopped through the man’s neck, severing the head.
Tanden looked away from the grizzly scene. Butchering a dead saurus for dinner was one thing, but to mutilate a dead man, even an unredeemed barbarian, seemed particularly gruesome.
“Gadon,” Tanden commanded, “Up with Durrban. You’ll form a trio with Tuller. I-Sheera, slide forward. I’ll ride with you and we’ll trade off with Seenger. It’s a good enough plan for now, though we may change it quickly as the situation changes.”
He vaulted up behind the woman. Wrapping his arms around her, he took the reins from her hands and buried his heels into the sides of the mount. The saurus moved forward in a quick walk, a motion Tanden found reminiscent of a rolling ship. He wanted to spur the saurus into a run and just keep moving, but I-Sheera obviously was not used to riding saurusback. He thought it strange that she had shown such a sure hand with a half-wild saurus, yet obviously had nev
er sat astride one. Now was not the time for personal histories. He needed to keep Seenger close, in order to change riders when the ogre grew tired. Ogres were strong and did not tire easily, but running was no more their strong suite than swimming.
Near the top of the slope, he stopped the saurus next to Seenger. The ogre had chosen three saplings standing apart from the forest. Using a short sword, he stripped the limbs and topped them, to form sharp pointed stakes about five-feet tall.
I-Sheera stared at the scene in fascination. Tanden watched in surprise and shock as the ogre picked up Seekin’s severed head from the grass at his feet. With no fanfare, he drove the head down onto the point of one of the saplings. Seenger twisted the head around until the lifeless eyes stared back down the slope facing the direction they had come, and more importantly, the direction any pursuit would come. Seenger drove a second head onto a point and twisted it around. The eyes were closed, so he poked at the eye lids until they stayed open, staring across the clearing.
Tanden had witnessed the brutality and barbarism of war. He had seen men do things that a reasonable person would deny men were capable of doing. This casual mutilation of a dead body was more than he had ever witnessed. It did not seem right. He was not all that surprised at Seenger, who was little more than a barbarian, could do such a thing. He was shocked that Tuller would willingly participate in the mutilation of dead bodies. He was also surprised by I-Sheera. She had turned away from the butchery of a saurus, yet now watched human butchery with interest.
Tanden struggled to keep the quiver out of his voice when he asked, “Seenger, is this your idea?”
Tuller said, coming up behind them, “No. This is Grandfather’s idea.” Tuller tossed the third severed head to Seenger. It spun blood through the air, its black hair flopping. Seenger caught the head and calmly set it in place beside the other two.
Tuller continued, “Grandfather told me of seeing heads on pikes at the gates of a Surr village in the far north. He said that to a man, none of the Holden warriors would enter the village. He said the lifeless eyes staring back at them were Holdenite and Nechepeg warriors. Behind the village wall stood only old women and young children. They were all brave men, but they passed by the easy pickings of that village. To this day, Grandfather swears the village was inhabited by devils in the shape of women and children. I don’t know about devils and evil spirits, but if this gives the Hummdhars pause, then it’s time well spent. Besides Tanden, these men have no more use for their heads.”
Tanden said, “Truly, I must spend more time talking to your mother’s grandfather.”
“Besides, this one,” Tuller patted Seekin’s head, “left me to that young animal back by the river. He deserves no better.”
Tanden agreed, but found it difficult to be as casual as Tuller.
Gadon said, “My butt is already sore from sitting on this oversized goat. Are you two going to stand in this rain and cold talking about something that’s already an accomplished fact or are we going to get moving? You two old women would stand around gossiping all day if it weren’t for me.”
Tanden was about to tell Gadon to shut up when the thundering sound of running sauruses cut through the air. Without looking back or waiting for a command, the group headed into the forest. Tuller and Seenger ran ahead while the others following closely on saurusback. Tanden was immediately frustrated at their slow pace, but additional speed was not possible. To his amazement, the runners were easily able to stay in front of the mounted riders. A saurus had to maneuver around objects that a man on foot could make his way through and over. Still, at this pace, the running men would tire soon and have to trade places with riders.
He felt sure this was the first time I-Sheera had ridden a saurus. She grabbed the bony ridges along the saurus’s neck, holding on tight with both hands. She slid precariously from side to side as the saurus moved at a fast walk. A trot would have unseated her in a breath’s time.
Tanden said to I-Sheera, “Grip with your legs, girl. No, higher. Bend your knees more. Move when the saurus moves.” Tanden gripped her tightly around the waist with one hand, holding the reins with the other.
The group moved down the reverse slope. Reaching the bottom, they crossed a creek before they heard shouting from the hill behind them. Twisting around Tanden could not see beyond a few yards. He pointed up the forward slope and Tuller and Seenger scrambled to follow his gesture. The sauruses took a different route, picking their way around trees and boulders.
Tanden looked behind him at the rocky forest floor covered with dead brush, limbs, and leaves. A good tracker would follow his group with little difficulty. However, in doing so, any pursuer would move slower. The sauruses and runners reached the top of the slope at the same time, crested the hill, and began down the other side. Seenger and Tuller were breathing hard. Each man needed and deserved a rest, even if it was short.
They had barely gone far enough to drop below the hillcrest when Tanden called a halt. “Durrban, you two go over there.” He pointed at the top of the next tree-covered slope. In the small valley between the next two hills was a large open clearing, if he remembered correctly. “Straight down here. Circle around the clearing. Stay to the edge of the forest and then angle to the right up the next hill. Move, we’re right behind you.”
“Down. It’s our turn to run. Follow Durrban.” He said to the woman. Grabbing her upper arm, he swung her free and dropped her to the ground. “Tuller, come here.” He tossed the saurus’s reins to him and slid off the lizard’s back.
“I’m fine,” Tuller said. “I can run farther.”
Tanden flared at the man, “Don’t argue with me now, damn it. Ride or find your own way.” He instantly regretting speaking harshly to the man, but wasted no time apologizing. Tuller and Seenger mounted and without a word followed after I-Sheera.
Rather than follow right away, Tanden ran back to the hilltop they had just crested. Standing against a large tree so as not to silhouette himself against the sky behind him, he stared through the rain-darkened gap between the hills. He caught the movement of milling men and sauruses on the hill where they had left the three heads. He heard shouting and arguments from the group, but in the poor light, through dense trees and with Hummdhars spread out below the crest of the other hill, Tanden could not tell how many were following them.
Suddenly, a group of seven or eight riders wheeled onto the top of the hill, fanning out as they crashed through the forest toward the creek below. Some of the riders appeared to be heading straight for Tanden’s hiding place. Before turning to run, he saw another half dozen Hummdhars crest the opposite slope, turn their sauruses westward and disappear out of his sight, moving at a full gallop.
Tanden turned away and followed after his crew. His sped downhill so fast his feet were barely able to keep up with his body. Crashing through the brush, he passed Tuller and Seenger with a bound, leaping over a boulder and a fallen tree the two riders were going around. In a shower of mud and wet leaves, he slid to the bottom at the same time Durrban, Gadon, and I-Sheera reached it.
A risky plan came together in his mind. If they were successful, they would be free from immediate pursuit. He signaled them to hold up until Tuller and Seenger reached their position.
Catching his breath, he told them what he had seen of the Hummdhars. “Tuller and Seenger,” he continued, “have cut their forces in half with that trick of putting the heads on those poles. Thank you, men. I doubted it at the time, but it was good thinking.”
Gadon said, “Good thinking, unless the ones coming after us are twice as angry as they were before.”
He replied, “Well, Gadon. I’m counting on their being so angry their hearts overrule their heads.” He went on to explain his plan.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Cold rain was driving across the open meadow in sheets as Tanden lay on his back in the middle of the open meadow. Hastily positioned brush concealed the shallow, muddy depression he was using for cover. Holding his bow
tightly across his chest, he stacked the remaining arrows around him within easy reach and notched an arrow on the bowstring. He set his sword off to the side, as he would not need it right away if his plan worked. He had given his shield with the pointed metal buckler to Gadon.
He listened to the shouts of the Hummdhars riding toward Gadon and Durrban. The two sailors were afoot and racing across the center of the clearing toward the forest’s edge. Try as they might, the two men were too far away to reach the safety of the trees before the riders overtook them. They stopped and stood alone, armed with sword and shield. Tanden could picture what the barbarians were seeing—a pathetic, little old man and a fat man dressed in tatters.
The last he had glimpsed of the pair, Durrban was trying to draw magic from the surrounding grass and bushes as he ran. Collecting and condensing what he could, Tanden doubted the man could focus and concentrate on his magic with armed Hummdhar soldiers rushing to ride them down.
Tanden hoped the group would not trample him as they rode forward to kill Gadon and Durrban. He also hoped I-Sheera was able to hide and Tuller and Seenger were safely clear with their two sauruses. The urge to jump up and run to his two men was strong, but he resisted. He did not dare give his position away. In any event, the Hummdhar riders were so close at this point, he could not run the hundred yards fast enough to reach his men without being killed.
The sauruses pounded past him, their wide padded feet slapping wetly across the muddy terrain. Rising quickly to one knee, he snapped an arrow at the back of the rearmost rider. It pleased him to see the man crumple and drop to the ground. Rather than revel in the success of his first shot, Tanden picked up another arrow and let fly. His second arrow found its mark in the back of a second Hummdhar saurusman. As he notched a third arrow, he saw the lead saurusman flip backward. The man did not release the reins and his weight dragged his saurus’s head backward. Saurus and rider went down in a tangle, scattering the others, causing another saurus to stumble and spill its rider.