by Sharon Gibbs
‘Thank you, Uncle. Your craft has done you proud.’
Albert also gave Christopher a leather sheath that the sword could be carried in when not in use. Albert placed it over Christopher’s head so the strap sat upon his shoulder. Christopher slid the steel into the sheath and Albert helped Christopher as he adjusted its position so that it sat balanced upon his back. Christopher embraced Albert and held him for a moment before he drew away.
‘Uncle, I consider you and Rose to be my own blood. The father and mother I can’t remember, I now see within my essence and they’re proud of the way you raised and loved me. I couldn’t have wished for better parents than you both. I always have and will forevermore be your son.’
A tear slipped from Albert’s eye, to run down his cheek and Christopher reached out and wiped it away.
‘Let us be on our way, there’s much that lays before us,’ Albert said and they walked over to join the others.
Kovak and his men followed the trail the wagon had left. Brice tracked them through the hills of Cherish and on to the abandoned village of Agon. The wagon’s tracks led them to the house where they’d taken Elle. As Kovak entered the building he looked around the room. The fireplace showed signs of recent use and a small clay pot lay near the hearth.
‘Over here,’ Brice said and bent down to pick up the two severed hands. ‘They definitely travelled through here,’ he said and then he tossed the hands into the cold hearth.
‘If they took the hands to unfasten the leash, where is it?’ Kovak was annoyed that the Wizard was free. He now had two Wizards to deal with, and it would make his task to steal Elle away that much harder. Brice searched the house but the leash was nowhere to be seen.
Kovak and his men rode on. They followed the tracks the traitors left to a house on the outskirts of a small village. Kovak kept his men at a safe distance while he crept closer to watch Christopher and his group pack their wagons. Then he spied Elle as she walked with an older woman towards one of the wagons and climbed aboard. He kept a close eye on how they arranged their party before he returned to where his men waited for him and he instructed them to stay out of sight.
‘The ones we follow are ready to leave,’ Kovak said. ‘Brice, ride to the Keep and inform the Lord that we’ve found the traitors. Tell him to bring the Sorceress this way. Now make ready men, we need to keep them within our sights.’
He told them only what they needed to know. His plan he kept to himself, one that would not only ensure his return to the good graces of his Lord, but would also attain him the woman he desired.
They stayed out of sight as they followed behind Christopher and his group. Kovak would watch and wait until he found the precise moment and then he’d enact his plan.
As they travelled towards Corn Fallow, Christopher and his party wore their weapons for all to see. Gone were the days of hiding from the army, their display showed their intentions. Albert, Rose and Elle travelled together in one wagon, while Clarence, Atlas and Thomas travelled in the other. Elle held her bow poised, ready in case the need should arise. The other members who made up their group rode their horses. Christopher, Jack and Peter had set out ahead of the wagons while James, Henry and Jimmy followed. Together they formed a protective barrier around their group.
It was still early morning, and they approached the crossroad where Frank had gathered the members of the fold and waited for Henry to arrive. The group of men with Frank numbered thirty and they were armed with shovels and clubs ready to fight.
Christopher and Henry rode ahead of the group and pulled their horses to a halt, in front of Frank and his men. Frank stepped forward to greet Henry. He looked at Christopher and without a doubt in his mind, Frank knew this man was the One that would lead and fight for them. They dismounted and Henry introduced Christopher to Frank. Not as his grandson but as the One born to unite the people. He said this loud enough for all to hear.
After Christopher shook Frank’s hand he stepped forward to speak with the fold. Henry watched as Christopher knew what his role entailed. These men needed to feel united in their cause and know that others stood by their side.
‘Friends, you’ve chosen of your own free will, to this day stand and fight for what’s yours. The right to live as a man who makes his own decisions. Who makes his own mistakes and chooses where his path in life leads. Today we join together and fight united for all our loved ones, so that they can again be safe to walk in the sun.
‘If we stand united we’ll rid these invaders from our lands. They didn’t seek to live in this land by peaceful means, but have taken what they wanted, when they wanted and have had no care for our people or our lives. The Lord Arnak sees fit to drag us down into an age of darkness, where famine and poverty is our only destination. I ask of you, will you join me now and help cast this foe from our door? Will you help me restore this land and bring its people back to the peace they once knew?’ Christopher stood in front of these men and asked them for a commitment, one that would benefit not only them, but also all who lived within Solencia.
At that moment thirty men united in voice and in spirit, raised their weapons in clenched fists and shouted, ‘Yes!’
Christopher looked at these men, they were strong and now they waited for him to guide them.
‘We’ll rid this village of the soldiers. They’ll either cede or die. There’ll be no middle ground. Anyone who gives aide to these invaders deserves the same fate. Don’t let another lead you from your task this day, as it may cost you your life. Watch out for each other and keep each other within sight. Your life could depend upon it!’
These men carried the crude weapons of farmers, so Jimmy called Atlas to bring the wagon forward. The back of the wagon was covered with a heavy canvas. Jimmy pulled back the cover and then he and Clarence began to pass out the weapons that Jimmy had brought with him. These were the weapons that had been carefully made and stored away in the secret compartment in his barn.
From swords and axes, to shields and armour, the fold were outfitted with the weapons of war.
The wagons were left with Albert, Rose and Elle not far from the edge of the village. There they’d be safe, away from any reprisal and the wagons would be ready to move on. The three would be able to keep watch for anyone who approached the village and give warning.
Christopher and Henry mounted their horses ready to ride on ahead of the group. Jack, Peter and James would join with half of the members of the fold and make their way towards the main road of the village. Clarence, Jimmy, Atlas and Frank would go with the rest and attack from the opposite side.
As Christopher and Henry entered the main road that passed through the village, Christopher called out to the soldiers. Their plan was to lead the soldiers into the open and from there the battle to reclaim the village would unfold.
‘I call to you, soldiers of Reist, army of Arnak. I’m the One the Lord seeks. It’s my head he wants as his prize. Come forth and try your luck, for today is your day of reckoning.’
The soldiers left behind to govern the village came out of their homes and into the street. There were more than Christopher had expected, but they numbered no more than thirty. None in the army had felt the need to leave extra weapons behind, so the soldiers only had those they carried upon them.
Christopher sat upon his horse as she danced around in the street, while the fold made their way around the village and took their positions for the battle to come. Henry stood next to a building; he watched and waited within the shadows until the time came to act.
‘Cede now and you’ll remain unharmed,’ Christopher yelled. ‘Fight and it’ll be to the death, for there’s no in between.’
A soldier stepped forward, his sword drawn and he yelled back. ‘It’s to the death we fight. We’ve no choice, our bargain has already been made.’ And with that the soldiers advanced. With a last ditch effort Christopher tried again.
‘There’s always a choice!’
‘Not for us there isn’t.’ Wit
h that the soldiers raced towards him.
Christopher jumped from his horse and drew his weapon as the soldiers closed in. With the first clash of swords the fold entered the main street and hurled themselves into the fight. Jack, Peter and James ran to the forefront of the onslaught and there they stood by Christopher as they repelled these men who fought for their Lord.
Steel weighed upon steel. The soldiers had talent and knowledge but their lives over the years had led them to become lazy and so these combatants were evenly matched. The fold had a lust for freedom, as did Christopher’s men, and united in their cause they drove their swords into the beast that had ruled them for so many years. Henry and Clarence didn’t intervene with their magic. To do so would take from the fold that which they’d earned, victory and choice for freedom. There was no magic within these soldiers, except that which had bound them to Arnak. They, too, were mortal men.
As they stood in the street and surveyed the bodies strewn across the road, Christopher saw a dark shadow out the corner of his eye. A form rose from one of the soldier’s bodies and as Christopher turned to look, he saw the soul of the soldier drift up and away from the vessel it had inhabited. He watched as it rose to begin its journey on to the next world.
Souls departed all the corpses, wisps of their essence floated up into the air. Then, as the souls of the dead hovered over their lifeless forms they were sucked down. These hapless souls struggled and thrashed, each one reached out to try and halt their descent, but there was nothing in this world that could stop them from being sucked down. Christopher watched them and heard their screams as they thrashed around. He looked at Peter and Jack, but they didn’t seem to notice the commotion. Christopher turned to Clarence and his grandfather. Clarence’s face said it all. Christopher knew they, too, saw and heard as he did.
‘I’ve never seen this before, Henry. Do you know what this means?’ Clarence said as they watched the souls disappear.
‘No, but I assume the Sorceress Athena has more power than we’d first thought. This isn’t magic I’ve ever seen before.’
Christopher looked at the bodies of the men that lay before them all. ‘I gave them the option, surrender or fight to the death. They said they had to fight; they’d no choice. I told them there always was a choice.’
‘What did they say to that?’ Peter couldn’t believe the conversation between the three.
Christopher looked at Peter and repeated the words the soldier had said. ‘Not for us there isn’t.’
‘If what you say is true, Christopher, we must take their bodies and burn them. They’ve been bound to their Lord by dark magic and even death cannot separate them from him,’ Henry said.
Rose stumbled as she entered the street. She saw Christopher as he stood among the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
‘Christopher… Christopher… They’ve taken Elle!’ Rose’s eye was swollen and had begun to discolour.
Jack rushed to her side and steered her towards a step on the nearby building, where he sat her down.
‘What happened, Rose? Who has Elle?’ he said as he tried to get the information he needed from her.
‘Kovak has her.’
‘Go, Christopher. I’ll see to your aunt,’ Henry said as he moved towards Rose. Christopher, Jack, Peter and James ran for their horses. Taking to their saddles, they sped off towards the place where they’d left the wagons.
The empty carts came into sight and they searched the surrounding area. Jack found Albert. He lay partially hidden within a group of trees, near a bend in the road. As he called out to the others he noticed Elle’s bow. Her arrows lay strewn in the grass not far from where Albert lay. Christopher jumped from his horse and ran to Albert’s side. He checked Albert, whose chest still rose but he didn’t stir when Christopher tried to wake him and there was a large bloody gash on the side of his face. Jack and Peter searched for signs that would tell them which way Kovak had taken Elle.
As Elle, Rose and Albert had sat and waited in the wagon, they’d heard Christopher call out to the soldiers in the village. Elle could hear the battle as it unfolded and time seemed to stand still. She could stand it no longer and jumped out of the wagon and made her way down the road towards the village. Worried, Albert followed her.
From behind a group of trees Albert and Elle watched the road that led into the village. They couldn’t see past the buildings from their vantage point, but the sounds of the battle drifted and they could hear the clash of steel as the men fought. Rose sat alone in the wagon and she lent over the edge to watch for their return.
‘They’ll be fine, Elle,’ Albert said. ‘They’ve two Wizards with them, if the need should arise. We should go back to the wagon.’ He was worried for Rose who was now on her own and they decided to head back.
Kovak watched Christopher as his men waited with their horses not far from where he lurked. They were silent and remained concealed within the trees as Christopher and Henry led their men into the town.
Within a thicket not far from the wagons, Kovak waited for his opportunity. Then it happened, Elle climbed out of the wagon.
She walked with the older man down the road towards the village. As they returned Kovak seized the moment. Mounted upon his stallion he dug his heels into the beast’s sides. The stallion’s hooves churned the earth as the beast lunged forward. Kovak’s desire walked not far away and he urged his stallion on. His eyes rested only upon Elle; soon she’d be his. The stallion sped towards the two as they moved back towards the wagon, and Kovak leant forward to grab Elle.
As he galloped towards them, his stallion collided with Albert and knocked him down and he rolled along the ground and lay hidden in the trees. He didn’t rise to help Elle as Kovak scooped her up and threw her over his horse. As Elle was flung over the saddle her head struck the pommel and she drifted into unconsciousness. Kovak cut the leather that held her bow and quiver and pulled them from her body, before he cast them away.
‘You are mine, my dear. Now we’ll see if he’s brave enough to follow us into the serpent’s nest,’ Kovak said. Then he held her in front of him as he galloped off through the trees.
The soldiers watched as Kovak burst forth on his mighty stallion. They kicked their mounts and sped forward towards their Captain. It was over by the time they reached him and they continued on through the trees after him.
Rose had watched for Albert and Elle and was glad when they came into sight. She heard the thundering of hooves and saw Kovak as he rode towards her husband and Elle. She screamed to them to run, but Kovak was upon them before they’d a chance to move. About to climb out of the wagon, Rose watched as a group of soldiers approached and then followed Kovak through the trees. She ran to the spot where she’d last seen her husband. Tears streamed down her face and clouded her vision as she searched for him. She didn’t see the small branch concealed under the grass and her foot caught upon it. As Rose fell forward, she hit her head. She staggered to her feet and stumbled towards the village.
‘Christopher, the tracks head through those trees,’ Jack said as he hurried Christopher in his task. ‘Peter has already set off to follow their trail. We must leave now.’
‘I’ll stay with Albert and wait for the others,’ James said. ‘I’ll catch up to you soon.’
Christopher and Jack set off after Peter, the three of them following the trail left by Kovak’s men. They now hunted Kovak, and he’d pay for what he’d taken.
Henry and Clarence arrived to see to Albert’s wounds and organised Frank to take him and Rose back to Thomas’ home. James and the Wizards sped off to catch up with Christopher.
The people of the village built several fires to burn the corpses and as Frank looked up into the sky, the last rays of sunlight gleamed through the smoky haze.
‘Bring what you can. We ride north. May our souls be safe within this realm.’
Chapter Thirty-nine
The rain pelted down and woke Elle from her daze. Her head throbbed as she hung there. She realise
d that she was tied across the back of Kovak’s horse when she attempted to move. The ropes, which bound her hands and feet, had been tied securely. The more she resisted and pulled the more they seemed to tighten and cut into the tender flesh of her wrists. Her ankles fared better as her boots gave her resistance against the constant rub of her restraints. If she relaxed it didn’t seem as bad. The horse’s constant movement bounced Elle around but she remained quiet, determined not to give away the fact that she’d woken. She looked around as best she could to try and get her bearings. Her head hung towards the horse’s belly and caused it to throb all the more. Soaked to the skin, she closed her eyes again.
Kovak hadn’t realised his bride to be had woken and then passed back into her realm of darkness. He urged his horse on knowing Christopher would follow them and he planned to put as much distance as possible between himself and those who hunted him. Kovak’s idea was to head towards the Keep. Arnak would be travelling in their direction with his Sorceress and army in tow. He knew if he could make it to them in time, he’d be able to stand within Athena’s power and Christopher wouldn’t be able to touch him.
James and Peter followed the trail Kovak left. His tracks were easy to follow since the rain had turned the earth into a muddy bog and the horses’ hooves dug into the wet earth. Kovak pushed his horse on, desperate to expand the distance between the two groups.
Jack pursued at a frantic pace but he knew if they didn’t stop soon, the horses would collapse so he reluctantly brought their chase to a halt. Finding a secluded thicket to rest within, they tended to their horses feeding them the meagre amount of food they carried within their saddlebags. Jack organised a patrol around the perimeter of the camp while the Wizards spelled a circle to prevent any intruders. Christopher and Peter built a fire to warm them while they ate their rations and spoke of their plans.