by James Wymore
"Macey!" She had her eyes concentrating on goats, so he had to call twice. When she turned he said, "Tell everybody to save their magic up and just fight for a while." She nodded and turned to go spread the word.
"Vince!" Vince stopped prodding the goat above him, which refused to go over the side. "Pause on the goats!" Vince nodded. A quick count told Elwood they'd used a third of Winigh's trainable herd so far. Worse, they were down ten fighters. They couldn't afford to lose many if they were going to hold this wall. Catapulted rocks buzzed by overhead. Only one of the three shots hit a Hyzoi. They were looking up and dodging now. Huge groups of monsters would retreat to rest before rotating back into the assault.
This wouldn't be over soon. Elwood turned back to the men on the wall. "Anybody soaked through, follow me!" He hurried down the ladder and back toward the tents. "We need to get warm fast, and change clothes."
Elwood didn't try to pretend he wasn't happy to see Jewel. As soon as he changed, she had him in front of the oven, with a bowl of stew and a cup of hot milk. The others gathered around, too.
"How are we faring?" she asked, with as positive a smile as she could muster.
"Probably a dozen dead," one man in the group said. "We killed a lot more fishmen than that. But they have a hundred more than us."
A distant explosion testified to the ongoing battle behind them.
"Is there anything more I can do?" she begged Elwood. "I feel so useless."
"You won't be. I'm sending people back here, five and ten at a time. Make sure if they look tired, they get sleep. Weary soldiers die easily."
Jewel nodded.
"The rest of you, good work so far. When we go back, I have a special assignment for you."
They looked exhausted to the core. Elwood knew they would feel a lot worse before it got better. "What's that?" one woman asked. She clearly wanted to prove she wasn't weak.
"We need to dry out the ground in front of the wall," Elwood said.
They all nodded, sure the orders would come when the time arrived. It came sooner than they would like. For the moment, they most enjoyed the relative quiet, which the battle never afforded.
"We need to get back," Elwood told Jewel. He kissed her and headed back toward the wall. The others quickly drank what they could, clapped their hands over the heat once more, and began marching behind him.
As he walked, he explained, "We need to get the alcohol, oil, and tinder out there so we can torch the ground. If we get it dry, the Hyzoi will need to retreat more often to rest."
"So we dry it with fire," the oldest man said.
"How do we get the stuff out there to burn?" the woman asked.
"I'm open to suggestions," he said, "but my first thought was goats."
"You want to strap explosives to goats?"
"No. I thought we might ride some out and be fast enough to get back without dying."
Bowen stepped up to meet them. "I can fix the catapult, but it will take hours. Maybe a whole day."
"Let it go," Elwood said. He filled Bowen in on his idea as the others gathered around and tried to catch their breath.
"It's too dangerous," Bowen said. "Some of you are sure to die in the process."
"Ideas," Elwood asked everybody.
"Use the catapults," Bowen said. "The ones that still work, that is."
"Explain," Elwood said.
"Put the oil and wood in the catapults," Bowen said. "Light the fuses, and throw them over the wall."
"It's perfect," Elwood said. "Take the catapult crews, and get what you need from the munitions."
"How much should we use?" Bowen asked.
"As much as you can get over in one go. After the initial surprise it won't do as much damage."
"We have five catapults working," Bowen said. "Well, four and a half. The one misses sometimes."
"Make sure it doesn't miss with a payload of explosive," Elwood said as he patted Bowen on the shoulders. "Signal when you have it ready, and I'll call the shot from the wall."
Bowen nodded and went back to the war machines. The rest of them followed Elwood up onto the wall. The sounds of battle raged in their ears again. Drake had another bomb go off in the pile of dead Hyzoi. This one mostly burned out, and didn't upset the pile much. "These things just aren't very good at this," Drake said. Macey was breathing hard behind him, leaning against the wall to rest.
"Hold off," Elwood said. "We have something new in mind."
"Goats?" Vince called up, seeing Elwood had returned.
"No!" Elwood said, crossing his arms in front. "Hold them back!"
Elwood looked over the battleground before them. Two more Hyzoi leaped off the pile and crashed down onto the platform. One of them landed on a young man's leg and crushed it. As he screamed, the group returning with Elwood moved in and dispatched the crocodilian attackers.
"Get spears over here!" Elwood cried out. Several people grabbed long, sharp poles and rushed in. "Set them high. Don't try to impale the jumpers. Just direct them so they fall to the ground behind us. Drake, take a group down there to kill any Hyzoi they push over the edge."
Elwood began surveying the field again. Only a few dozen besiegers were harrying the wall now. Many more of them were at the far end of the meadow, resting. He watched them sit in silence, their backs turned to Winigh. They would come as a great group, he realized. They were setting up for a larger wave of attack.
He checked Bowen, who signaled the machines were ready. He waved down to keep them on hold. He wanted to time this just right.
Then, behind the Hyzoi, he saw several long tubes moving toward them. They brought more water jets. Then he saw groups of Hyzoi digging holes. They were planning to set up pools of water in the meadow, filled from the stream behind.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Elwood remained paralyzed as he thought through the options. If the Hyzoi could get water back to the field, it would be useless to douse it with flames first. The only way he could think to try to stop it would be to launch an assault beyond the wall. However, he knew such an offensive would come with high casualties. If things remained as they stood, he was sure Winigh would wear down the besiegers and hold their land. They couldn't do it after heavy attrition. Nor could they do it if those Hyzoi managed to get a steady flow of water.
As he watched the floppy hoses moving up the pathway, Elwood realized what to do. The hoses were worthless without the fish pumping water into them. He needed snipers.
"Vince!" he called. Vince turned. "Up here! Get somebody to tend the goats."
"What's going on?" Vince asked.
"I need to go on a little scouting mission. We don't need goats for a while. I want you to run things from here."
Vince nodded and put his hand on his sword.
"If those resting Hyzoi make another rush for the wall, signal Bowen to launch the fire." Elwood pointed at the catapults. As an afterthought, he grabbed a young man who looked exhausted beyond his strength. "Run to Bowen and tell him to watch Vince for the signal. Then go back to camp and get some food and rest."
The boy nodded gratefully and rushed down the ladder.
Turning back to Vince, Elwood said, "If they get the water started, don't bother with the fire at all." Vince nodded.
Elwood moved along the wall to the east. "I need snipers," he said. The larger battle was on the other end of the wall, so they didn't have to yell.
"Can't kill them with arrows unless they jump," said a man with stark red hair and beard.
"Don't need to kill Hyzoi," Elwood said. "I need to kill some fish. We'll be climbing along the cliff to get into position."
Two men, including the redhead, and one woman raised their hands. "Perfect," he said. "Come with me."
"We need magic," the woman said as she rubbed the gloved fingers together on her shooting hand.
"I'll come," Macey said.
"No." Elwood immediately put up a hand to stop the discussion.
"Don't be silly," Macey pulled his han
d down. "We all do what we can."
"Fine," Elwood said, "but stay back by the ridge. We can't climb here." Elwood indicated the overhang they'd cut to keep the goats on track. He picked up one of the spare bows stored along the wall and tested it. "It'll be easier if we head south to the path. There's a slighter climb and we can follow the ridge."
They all filled quivers with arrows from the cache along the wall, and descended the ladder and began marching toward the south path. Macey and the other woman joined them. Their path took them past Jewel, so Elwood had them stop and get some food. Having eaten himself, he just took some bread.
Jewel moved him to the side as they ate. "You're taking them past the wall?" she asked. Her expression tried to be supportive, but nothing could keep him from seeing the worry in her eyes.
"We're taking the ridge and coming down the side. We have to kill the pumps before they get a steady flow of water to their side of the meadow."
Jewel gave him a hug. "Macey's not a great climber," she whispered.
"She won't need to leave the ridge," he assured her. "If we can stop the water lines, I think we'll win this war."
She hugged him tighter. "I know you will. I believe in you."
They didn't need to go all the way to the highest point on the mountain line. Enough breaks in the steep rocks allowed them to move along the high crest without being visible against the skyline. The trip was slow, as they moved through wet snow, which crunched and compressed beneath their boots. They rushed between trees, and then slowed while moving over rocky crags. Eventually, they reached more trees and moved more quickly again.
Elwood kept an eye on the spring meadow whenever he could see it. The Hyzoi were still waiting off the side. Not a single monster harried the wall now. Drake had taken advantage of the situation to drop a few bombs into the makeshift stairs of dead Hyzoi and scatter them as well as he could.
The trees obscured any view of the north valley until they were almost upon it. They descended carefully, holding branches as often as possible. Once they descended to the cliff above the smaller meadow, Elwood could see the full Hyzoi plan. They had dug huge pools, which overflowed with muddy brown water. The pools extended up the path. Obviously they realized how vulnerable they were in the stream below the spring meadow, so they were planning to shoot water from one pool to the next along the path. His best guess would be only three pools with a fourth he'd seen them digging in the space in front of the wall. That would require only three of the water jets. Unfortunately, he didn't know how many they had.
He looked south. If they went back up, they could follow the cliff to the path and hit the other jets. He knew after this attack, the Hyzoi would take precautions to protect the fish pumps better. He couldn't guess whether the monsters had more of these down by the sea. They could take the time to hike down and bring them back up if they did. Those were problems for the future. He first needed to stop these pumps now.
Elwood turned to the group and whispered, "You two, move toward the next pool along the path." He motioned with his hand slowly to indicate the woman and the redheaded man. Then he pointed south next to the path. "The fish pumps are held by one Hyzoi in the water pool. They are about as big as a wine barrel." He held his hands out to indicate. "A few arrows should be enough to kill them and disable the water flow. They will be under water, so you have to aim for where the Hyzoi's hands would be holding it because you won't be able to see it. And even if you can, water distorts everything you see."
"The water's evil," Macey whispered. "So it always tries to deceive."
The others nodded.
"Where should I go?" Macey asked.
"Stay back by the ridge. Find a position where you can see all of us," Elwood said with a soft and breathy voice. "Just make those arrows sink deep." Then to the archers he said, "Keep shooting until something blocks your shot. We can't afford for the fish to live through a superficial wound. I will not call an attack to reveal our positions. Macey will signal with her hands to shoot when everybody is in position."
They nodded. Macey and the other two backtracked a dozen paces and began working their way back toward the path. Elwood waited with the older, quieter man of the group. He was glad for the silence of a trained hunter as they listened and watched their prey.
The Hyzoi before them concentrated on this single job. It held the fish still in the pool and watched as the amazing creature sucked in water and pumped it with amazing force out the hose. One thing Elwood grudgingly had to admire about these foes, they had a single-minded way. Their lives didn't seem complicated. They didn't seem distracted. They focused on one task, and it filled their mind in a way Elwood secretly envied. He always had layers of plans and dozens of variables floating around in every thought. How peaceful it would be to just look at the fish and hold it there in a contest of strength and will.
Macey appeared near the edge of the cliff, where it turned to the south. It was a good spot, but not by the ridge. They could see her clearly, thirty feet above the enemy army. She was still watching the others. Elwood nocked his arrow, and his companion followed. They used slow, soft motions while still crouching in the wet snow.
Macey slowly raised her hands, looking back and forth between the two groups. Elwood and his companion drew their bows and took aim. They waited until Macey dropped her hands. Then Elwood held his breath, counted to two, and let his arrow follow the other. They disappeared in the water with only the tiniest disturbance to the surface.
They both re-loaded and shot twice before the monster bellowed and other Hyzoi crowded in to block their shot. Elwood took a shot at the deflating tube, hoping to render it defunct, too.
Enraged monsters turned to find them and began rushing toward the cliff beneath them. Elwood rose and began hiking up and away from the site. He turned to see Macey still near the edge as frenzied reptillians began bodily tearing away at the rocks beneath her. Several jumped unsuccessfully to try to grab her feet. Others started lobbing great chunks of rock up the side of the cliff. Absently, Elwood wondered why they hadn't used this attack against the people on the wall.
One of the arching rocks struck Elwood's companion. He fell limp in the snow, blood running down the side of his face. Elwood rapidly clamped his mitten over the wound, bodily dragging the heavy man through the snow until they were out of range. He applied tiny bits of snow to help constrict the area and slow the bleeding.
Only when they were safely away did he turn back. From here, trees blocked his view of anything. Waiting where he knew the others must meet before heading back, he gently patted the man's face and said, "Wake up now. You did a great job, but it's too harrying for us to carry you back."
The man never blinked. Keeping pressure on the head wound, Elwood gently shook the man's head. "Come back to me, now. You can't be welcomed home as a hero if you don't wake up."
He risked checking the blood under his leather glove. The flow had stopped, but the gash wasn't closed. Elwood laid the man's head in the snow. He just sat there on his knees, lost in a wash of doubt and grief. Was a man's life worth the price of one fish? No. It would be worth hundreds or thousands of such fish. Yet here, in this horrible war, they had traded this man to kill one stupid fish.
The other two archers returned. Tears already fell from their eyes, leaving red trails on their cheeks where the skin froze beneath them. "I'm so sorry," Elwood said looking at the fallen soldier he didn't know. "He paid the ultimate price for freedom and to protect his family."
The other two looked at him as if they were first registering the fallen companion. Elwood turned to make eye contact. Then the red-bearded man explained, "So did Macey."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Elwood felt his heart drop. He told her to stay back by the ridge! He wished his heart would stop right then, so he would never have to look at Bowen's face when they told him the news. He wished to trade places with the cooling corpse before him so he never had to speak aloud the words of Macey's death to Jewel. His o
wn tears fell, too hot to freeze before they reached the end of his nose and dropped onto the departed soul's remains beneath him.
"How can we go on without Macey?" Elwood asked slowly. It was as if he'd lost his mother. She came closest, of all the people he remembered.
"We must," the woman said. "You told us already that Macey and Kimball would have been dead if we didn't fight. They are no worse off." Her quivering lip proved she didn't believe the words she was saying.
"Did you see it?" Elwood asked. "Did they hit her with a rock?"
"They tore the cliff apart under her, and she fell down among them," the redheaded man said. He took a deep breath and turned away.
"How can I tell Jewel?" Elwood asked, looking up at the thin clouds floating high in the sky.
"You must stay strong," the redheaded man confirmed. "We are all lost if you despair now."
"Jewel already knows," the woman whispered.
The magic. Elwood fell back into the snow, wishing the collapsing ground would swallow him whole.
"I saw Macey's magic go out," she said. "In her last thoughts, she sent us all her love. We know she does not blame you."
"Of course," Elwood said. He hated himself more because they all believed what he'd told them. Somehow, he'd managed to distance himself from the rest, but not with Macey. Her magic had brought him back to life from the brink of death. Now the spawn from the waters of hell had torn her to shreds and eaten her.
He felt the door in his heart trying to close against the pain of her loss. Some forgotten defense mechanism he'd learned in distant wars fought to protect him from the emotions he could not afford. He hated it. He refused to let it comfort him.
A jet of water began shooting up over the side of the cliff in bursts.
New danger helped Elwood shut down the destructive thoughts and they began working back up the snowy slope. The mist turned to rime on their clothes and hats before they were far off. Once they were clear of the water, Elwood stopped.