Ruin Mist Chronicles Bundle

by Robert Stanek

  Frenzy followed. The camp was in an uproar. Men were running about the camp screaming, “To battle! To battle! The enemy comes!” Then, Adrina heard shouting and screams from William’s tent. She turned bewildered eyes to Vilmos and Galan. Together they rushed into William’s tent.

  The two guards lay face down in the dirt. Adrina did not doubt that they were dead. Apparently, Erravane had cut her way in through the back of the tent and aimed to go out the same way. In a half-human half-animal state, Erravane was dragging William out of the tent.

  Abruptly Erravane changed directions and pushed her way back into the tent. Behind her came the three Kingdom guardsmen, their swords drawn.

  Erravane spun around. Her eyes were wild. “Princess Adrina, you of all people should not stand in my way. William’s disappearance will most certainly serve you.”

  William shouted, “She aims to kill me.”

  “Hush, or I’ll rip out your tongue. I will only kill you at the end and though you deserve much anguish for abandoning me, I will do it swiftly.”

  “Even William doesn’t deserve to die,” Adrina said, her voice strong and with no hint of the alarm that raged through her mind. “Release him, or you will never escape from this camp.”

  “If I do not escape, neither will you.”

  Vilmos pushed past Adrina. Blue-white fire danced around his hands. “Xith warned you not to meddle in affairs that do not concern you.”

  “It is you, the boy who killed—” Erravane was shocked. “No, it cannot be. You and the Watcher should be—”

  “Not in the Vangar, we are here—” As Vilmos spoke, he walked slowly toward Erravane, his hands poised menacingly. “—And, should he find you, he will most assuredly keep his promise.”

  Erravane howled and with inhuman strength hurled William at Vilmos. She turned to make an escape; the guards barred her way. Adrina knew for certain they’d be killed if they tried to stop her.

  “No!” Adrina screamed. “Let her pass.”

  The guards stepped aside and Erravane fled into the night.

  Vilmos and William were in a jumble on the ground. Galan and Adrina helped them to their feet. William’s eyes were agape and shock was evident on his face. He started to say something, but before he could say anything, a soldier rushed into tent. Adrina turned about. The Kingdom guardsmen began shouting and rushed forward to intercept the soldier who had drawn his sword and also had begun shouting.

  The Kingdom guardsmen engaged the lone soldier of Sever. Adrina began shouting, “No, no, stop,” but the combatants didn’t.

  The soldier lay dead on the dirt floor before other soldiers answering his call rushed into the tent. Soon the three Kingdom guardsmen were being pushed back by the sheer number of newcomers arrived to save their king.

  Adrina turned to William. “Do something, make them stop!”

  William seemed disoriented.

  “Do something,” Adrina repeated. She grabbed William about the shoulders and shook him.

  “I am in no danger, I think, I mean—I need to sort this out.” William paused, flustered. “Sergeant, soldiers, I order you to halt!”

  The soldiers grudgingly broke off the attack. William pointed to two of them. “Find Commander Stenocco, tell him to come at once. Five more stand guard, the rest of you outside.”

  The soldiers didn’t move.

  “Throw down your weapons,” Adrina told the Kingdom guardsmen. They hesitated. “Do it!”

  Their swords clanked as they hit the ground.

  A puzzled frown returned to William’s face as he turned to Adrina. “Why did you save me? I mean, Erravane was right, you should have rejoiced. Why are you in my camp in the first place, if it is not to kill me?”

  “We came to talk.” Adrina wanted to say more but she was trembling and there were tears in her eyes. Suddenly, it seemed lead weights were around her shoulders and her legs wanted to collapse under the weight. “May I sit?”

  “A chair,” William said.

  A soldier quickly brought a chair.

  Adrina cleared her throat, then looked to Vilmos and Galan in turn. She started speaking, determined to convince William using Keeper Martin’s plan. Yet somehow, things didn’t come out the way she planned, and instead she told him everything the plan entailed. She explained how they had come to the camp and sneaked through it intent on finding him, how they had planned to trick him and finally how they had planned to convince him of the truth. During the telling Sever’s commander hurried into the tent but William ordered silence.

  Adrina concluded by saying, “I tell you the truth when I say I harbor no hate in my heart for all you have done. I know what it is to grieve for one so dear it seems they are all you had in the world. I know what it is like to feel you are all alone. I know how such loss can cloud your mind and make you want to lash out at all the world, but if you loved your father, and I know you truly did, you will listen to reason. Great Kingdom had no part in your father’s death. This you must believe.”

  Indignation crossed William’s face. “How can you possibly know what I feel? How can you possibly know what it is like to lose a mother, father, and brother all in the space of a few years?” William’s eyes turn wild. His tone became icy cold. “Kill them, kill them all!”

  The Kingdom guardsmen raced for their swords. Adrina leapt from her chair and started screaming at William. Galan grabbed Adrina and pushed her back. Vilmos stepped in front of them both.

  There was joy in Commander Stenocco’s eyes as he withdrew his great sword from its sheath. He ordered his men to stand at ease. “Leave them to me,” he said arrogantly, “I want them all.”

  The Kingdom guardsmen held their ground as the enemy commander advanced on them. When he was within striking distance, Commander Stenocco stopped and laughed, mocking the tension on the guardsmen’s faces. He spat, then with surprising speed, heaved his massive blade toward them. Adrina squeezed her eyes together and winced in anticipation of the sound of clashing blades. When she heard a dull thud instead, she opened her eyes, expecting the worst. The worst hadn’t happened, however. Nothing had happened.

  Commander Stenocco’s eyes were wide and filled with rage. He lashed out with his sword. Yet the sword couldn’t reach its mark. Again and again Adrina heard a dull thud. For a moment, the commander stood unmoving, a muscle in his cheek twitched nervously, then he cast aside his sword and began ramming the unseen barrier.

  Adrina was as confused as the enemy commander was, she turned to Galan. Galan pointed to Vilmos.

  “Princess,” Vilmos said, “I cannot hold him back long. Do what you must!”

  Adrina’s thoughts spun inward. She turned back to William and felt suddenly sick to her stomach. She knew what she had to do—something she wished someone had done to her long ago. She struck William across the face with the back of her hand. “How dare you speak to me like that!” she screamed at him, then with her eyes she backed him into his chair.

  “King Charles is gone, your self-pity will not bring him back! Great Kingdom and Sever have always been the strongest of allies. My father, King Andrew, has no desire to sit upon Sever’s throne. That seat belongs to the line of Charles, to you… Think. Who stands to gain the most from such treachery? Think, and no longer let blind rage control your actions.”

  For a long time, William said nothing, then he turned to the soldiers inside the tent and dismissed them all save for his commander. “It is no easy thing to stop what has already begun,” William finally told Adrina, “I know you are sincere and though I want to believe you, I cannot. You spoke of proof. If you have proof that King Jarom was behind the poisoning of my father, I would hear it.”

  Commander Stenocco screamed, “This is a trick, their forces attack as we speak!”

  William raised his hand, commanding silence. “You spoke of proof, I would hear it,” he repeated.

  Adrina turned to Galan. “Are you ready?”

  False dawn was on the horizon and still the battle raged. S
eth looked down from atop the wall to the fields south of the city. The Kingdom forces were falling back to re-form for another charge, to the west Sever’s army was also regrouping and to the east King Jarom’s army was mustering for their first attack of the new day. Vostok’s soldiers were fresh, few soldiers stood between them and the middle of Prince Valam’s camp as the bulk of the Kingdom army was engaged in the fighting to the west. Seth knew that once the attack came the camp would be overrun.

  Seth watched the men upon the walls prepare for the attack. Bowmen notched arrows. Soldiers loaded catapults. Others hunkered down behind the battlements and waited to counter the press of enemy siege ladders.

  Trumpets chanted to the east. Vostok’s army began to form in long lines. Shield bearers at the fore followed by pikemen, swordsmen and lastly archers. Horse soldiers in column formation waited with swords raised high.

  The trumpets sounded again. Thousands of foot soldiers screamed and charged. Seth turned his eyes westward, expecting Sever’s army to begin their charge. They had re-formed, but held their ground. Poised to strike to the west, the Kingdom army also waited. Their rear ranks began to turn about and prepare a defensive, but did not move fearing a deception.

  Perplexed, Seth watched the two unmoving armies. He wavered his gaze, trying to see why neither attacked. Was there something on the field between them?

  Galan? Seth called out. Seth, came Galan’s voice into his mind. What is happening?

  Sever’s army is quitting the field, Galan replied, and it was then that Seth saw the white flag and six figures moving toward the Kingdom lines. Seth was puzzled. But to the east, the attack comes.

  By the Mother, I did not realize—you must find Prince Valam. William has decided to quit the field. Seth, he knows the truth. But he also says he cannot fight against King Jarom.

  Vostok’s army came. The clash began.

  As the tide of the battle turned, the Kingdom army seemed unsure of which direction to defend against. Seth started running along the top of the wall. He was sure disaster waited in this indecision. He tried reaching the prince’s mind, but he had no idea where Prince Valam was among the mass of men in the frenzied camp below.

  Sergeant Danyel’? Chancellor Van’te? Seth screamed.

  Fatigue clouded Seth’s mind, allowing panic and dread to flood over him. He raced faster and faster. Then Sever’s army began to quit the field, and when it was clear they were not just falling back and were actually retiring, a wave of cheers erupted from the mouths of the Kingdom soldiers. The men atop the walls also began to cheer.

  Seth stopped running. The whole of the Kingdom army turned about, and weary or not, they began a driving charge. King Jarom’s army hadn’t anticipated such a massive counterstrike. Their shield wall was weak and it fell quickly.

  In retaliation, Vostok’s horse soldiers began their assault, but this came too late. The two armies were too intertwined and the enemy riders trampled their own soldiers as well as Kingdom soldiers. And when the riders met the first solid Kingdom line, horses and men collided, lances met readied swords and pikes, and large numbers of riders were pulled from their mounts or had mounts cut out from beneath them.

  The Kingdom army had its own horse soldiers and they were driving into the heart of the enemy army. Vostok’s army, stunned and surprised, could only fall back again and again, but without support from the other flank they no longer had superior numbers in the field. It was now they who were outnumbered.

  One last time the army of Vostok tried to raise a defense so they could re-form, but this was shattered quickly and the Kingdom army made good their rout. The men upon the walls began cheering louder and louder. For days their city had been besieged and now the enemy was on the run. They were elated and suddenly no longer weary.

  Seth watched the Kingdom horse soldiers pursue the enemy army to the valley’s rim and beyond. It was there that Seth lost sight of them. He too was joyous, and he joined in their cheers.

  A full celebration was underway.

  The fires in the city were at last extinguished and rebuilding would begin as soon as possible. Already priests and priestesses had arrived, answering Prince Valam’s call for aid. The Priestesses of the Mother were caring for the hundreds wounded. The Priests of the Father were interring the dead upon the fields south of Quashan’, and the former battlefields would forever more stand as grim reminders of the devastation wrought by even the briefest of wars. Great Kingdom’s losses had been heavy .

  Adrina’s joy was tainted with sorrow. She felt so alone, even though Galan was beside her. Vilmos had gone off in search of Xith, and while Adrina was sure Galan would have rather sought out Seth, Galan had stayed with Adrina to comfort her. Emel had not been among the fit or the wounded, and she had searched through every one of the dozens of relief houses set up to care for the wounded. The only thing she could do now was to search among the dead for his body, a task that seemed too grim for her to bear alone, yet she was determined to find Emel and to say her goodbyes.

  “Father Jacob,” Adrina called out.

  A very weary Father Jacob turned to greet her. He took her hand. “Your Highness, I have heard of your deed, you have done well, very well indeed.” Jacob grinned, and a bit of fatigue lifted from his eyes. “I knew you would.”

  “Emel,” Adrina said, “you haven’t…”

  “No, I have not seen Emel, yet I do not think you will find him here.”

  “I have looked everywhere but here, Father Jacob.” Adrina was in tears. “He is nowhere to be found.”

  “I have lain to rest too many familiar faces, I remember each, and none was Emel’s. Perhaps you searched the wrong places.”

  Adrina was convinced otherwise. “No, if Emel were alive, I would have found him.”

  Galan took Adrina’s hand. Riders are still in the field.

  Father Jacob sighed. “A few, yes. They help clear the fields. Most have returned to the city to join in the celebrations. Emel is not among them.”

  A few, Galan said, sending disbelief along with the words, I see hundreds.

  Father Jacob and Adrina followed Galan’s gaze, a confused call going forth from the walls matched their surprise. That the large band of riders was Kingdom horse soldiers there was no doubt, but the rout of the enemy army had been completed before the day had even begun, and now the day was nearly over.

  The jubilant soldiers’ swords and lances glistened in the late afternoon sun. They did not race their mounts, instead they held them to a steady trot. The animals must have indeed been weary.

  “Could it be?” Adrina asked.

  Neither Galan nor Father Jacob had to respond to the question. At the fore of the group was a great black stallion. In Adrina’s mind, there was no mistaking Ebony Lightning, Emel’s beloved mount.

  As the riders approached, their faces slowly became clear. Adrina knew that it was Emel who rode Ebony. What’s more, Emel wasn’t just at the fore of the pack, he was leading it and behind him were over three hundred Kingdom riders. Their shouts and cheers rose to the walls of Quashan’ and trumpets returned their jubilant cries with increasing vigor. Those celebrating in the streets of Quashan’, curious as to what the commotion was, came to the field, and soon thousands covered the near end of the field by the city’s southern gate.

  Father Jacob said, “His father would have indeed been proud this day.”

  “Indeed,” said a voice from behind them. At once Adrina recognized the voice of her brother. Prince Valam put his hand on Adrina’s shoulder. “Captain Brodst will surely hear of it, for I will tell him myself on the day I see his son is promoted to Second Captain, Imtal Garrison.”

  “Second Captain?” Adrina asked surprised.

  “Imtal Garrison is without two of her captains, and who better to fill the place than one who has proven himself worthy.”

  Adrina pointed a finger at Valam. “You knew where he’d been all along, didn’t you?” Adrina wiped tears from her cheeks. “And you let me worry an
d fret—”

  “I had a hunch, but I wasn’t certain.”

  Before Adrina could reply, Emel reined in Ebony beside them. He was grinning ear to ear. He leapt from the saddle.

  Adrina ran to him and hugged him fiercely. “I thought you dead. Where have you been?”

  Emel laughed then said. “Making sure Jarom’s army never returns to South Province without giving precious thought to the consequences. We chased them so far, and they ran so fast, I’d be surprised if they weren’t still running.”

  “You will make a good captain, Emel,” Valam said.

  Adrina was still hugging Emel fiercely, and now Emel’s face was a bit red. “Captain?” Emel asked.

  “Captain,” Adrina said, and she kissed him on the cheek.

  Valam cleared his throat. Adrina stepped back, and Valam gripped Emel’s shoulder. “Second Captain, Imtal Garrison. Captain Ghenson was a good man, and I know you will lead well in his stead.”

  A surge of celebrants and music came toward them as dancers and musicians made their way to the field from Quashan’s many squares, stirring more excitement into the already boisterous crowd. Valam, Emel, Adrina, Galan and Father Jacob found they could do nothing other than join in.

  Chapter Fourteen:

  Parting Ways

  The celebrations continued for three days and nights. Every day since the destruction, artisans had been hard at work rebuilding the city. The Master Stonecutter had seen to the walls and his laborers and masons had them nearly as strong as they once had been. Already the city’s smiths had the ironwork of the southern gate and portcullis restored. The city’s woodworkers had started construction on dozens of new homes. And the fact that there was already a shortage of nails, timber and bricks, proved how hard everyone was working toward the city’s restoration.

  Vilmos was growing restless. It wasn’t so much that he was tired of life in Quashan’s keep, but he was unaccustomed to people paying so much attention to him. Serving girls made him uneasy by catering to his needs and treating him as he imagined visiting royalty must be treated. The room he and Xith shared held riches beyond anything he had ever dreamed of. The mattresses on the beds were made of hundreds, maybe thousands, of goose down feathers, as were the magnificently plush pillows. He had never imagined a bed could be made out of anything other than straw covered over or that a night’s sleep could be so restful and refreshing.