The Sergeant at Arms whistled. “Around three hours to get this group working together?” He smiled at his commander, “You make that happen and they’ll write songs about you.”
Captain Frank put his hand on the other’s shoulder, “I just hope we’re around to hear them, Ollie.”
The two soldiers approached the gathered men spread out in the shadow of the cliff.
“Let’s see if we can get the men moving in the right direction.” Captain Frank turned to address the men. They were dressed in various types of armor- the ones in armor- and seemed to be congregated in groups of ten to twenty. Small fires had been started here and there. “Can I get everyone’s attention!” Captain Frank called out. “Everyone!”
The men turned and looked at the Captain. “Who are you?” Someone called out.
Captain Frank turned and mounted his horse. It not only provided a better vantage point to address them; it also gave him a little more authority. “I’m Captain Frank!” He shouted. His horse paced back and forth as he spoke, “It does my heart proud to see you all here ready and willing to protect your lands!”
Men here and there nodded; Captain Frank and his Keep were well-know. “How many Halflings are we dealing with?” It was the same man who had called out a moment ago.
“You have my name, Sir. Now give me yours.” Captain Frank said loudly. Having more than one person trying to lead the men in a crisis situation would have it spiral out of control quickly.
“The name’s Mink,” the man called back. “Head of the Civic Patrol for North and South Jute.” Many men around him nodded their approval.
Captain Frank breathed a sigh of relief; at least it was a professional he was speaking with instead of just a loud-mouthed foot soldier. He kept his voice high for the benefit of the rest of the men, “I’m glad you’re here Mink. We’ve got a lot to get organized and just a little bit of time to do it.” He narrowed his eyes at the man hoping he would realize why he hadn’t answered his question.
Mink nodded back. “We’ll, I can tell you this, Captain. The Jutes are here to fight!” He raised his sword in the air and a cheer erupted from the men around him.
Perfect thought Captain Frank. Having established leaders make things that much better. Now a knot developed in his stomach. Hopefully the other towns have someone in charge I can talk to, to get orders out. “Who’s in charge of the men from Julesville and Salt Flats?” He shouted.
There was a long pause as the men from the towns looked at each other. Finally, a man in - of all things- bright red armor stood, “I can speak for Julesville, if no one objects,” said Edward. Since most of the men had seen Edward in the bank, he was easily recognized. The bright red armor didn’t hurt either. Between that and no one else wanting to be in charge, no one else spoke up. Reluctantly, Edward stepped forward, “What’s the plan, Captain?”
Off to his right, a hulking mass of a man stood. He wore bear skins and carried a large double-bladed axe. He looked like someone had turned a Dwarf into a Giant to make him. “Joachim. I speak for Salt Flats!” He raised the massive axe into the air.
“Fine then!” Captain Frank called out, “let’s have the leaders come up for a quick discussion while the rest of you men get something to eat and get your gear ready!” A thought occurred to him, “And get a good fire going!” More men stood and began to shuffle around as the appointed leaders made straight for him.
Captain Frank dismounted his horse as the three men approached him and the Sergeant at Arms. The Captain led them closer to the forty-ish foot cliff face, away from the men. “Gentlemen, this is Ollie, my Sergeant at Arms.” The men all shook hands and exchanged greetings.
“Captain, now that we have that out of the way, how about answering my question,” said Mink.
Captain Frank shrugged at the man, “About five thousand.”
Joachim shifted his axe from one hand to another. “I’m not a scholar or anything. Far from it. But I know enough cipherin’ t’know that we don’ have that many men sittin’ here in the shade o’ this ‘ere cliff.” He looked at the Captain, “How many we got?”
“Five hundred or so,” said Ollie. “But we’ve got another hundred fifty coming from Bighorn and there’s talk of Gargoyles from Prost,” he added quickly.
“Don’t think hund’ert fifty’s gonna make any sort of difference.”
“We have Gargoyles coming?” Asked Mink, “I know they don’t get along with Halflings, so that’s definitely a good thing. How many?”
Captain Frank shrugged, “I have no idea. I don’t even know if they’re coming.” He looked up at the lightening sky. “But it’ll be light soon and the Halflings will most likely attack then. If the Gnomes in my keep can hold them off for an hour, we’ve got about three until they arrive.”
“So what’s the plan?” Asked Edward. He looked around the group. They were all in steel colored armor. His was bright red; his security guard uniform. The contrast was glaring. Who in their right mind would put their security in bright red? I’ll be the first target they’ll notice!!’ Edward decided then and there that if he survived the battle, his new security uniform would be a less obvious golden-tan, or even perhaps calming blue. He noticed the other men were looking at his bright red breastplate. When he spoke, their eyes raised to meet his.
“Well, this little cliff will be handy in keeping them from attacking from all sides,” began Frank, “but what we need to do is bog them down.” He pointed to one end of the cliff. If we till up that end of the cliff. “And if we have enough water wands, we can make a muddy mess out there for that side. If they get bogged down in that, our archers can pick them off pretty easily. If we have archers.”
“That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ in your plan, Captain,” said Mink. “I have a few archers with me. Maybe a dozen. I know I’ve got a water wand and there’s sure to be some others out there as well. Handy things.”
The Captain nodded. He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a deep blue wand. He handed it to Mink. “There’s two to start with. Get going on that now. Your men will be responsible for that flank so they don’t get around us.”
“Don’t?”
“Well, at least not as easily.”
Ollie chuckled, “It’s going to be a hell of a song, Frank.” He slapped the hulking warrior on the shoulder, “Looks like it’s you and me taking the other flank.”
The Warrior nodded at Ollie. “They call me Tiny.”
“ ‘Course they do,” said Ollie, “let’s go see what we can do about that far flank.”
Edward self-consciously shuffled his feet. “Listen Captain, , I’ve got a few men and it’s not like I want to be in charge, but there’s not much I can do about it right now, so what do you want us to do?”
Captain Frank put his hand on the other’s shoulder, “Hold the middle. If things look bad on one side or the other, send men there. You’re the reserve force to fill in the gaps. That’s the really important mission.”
Edward raised an eyebrow at the Captain, “I know I’m in red armor and all, but that doesn’t mean I’m an idiot” he said angrily. “This is my work uniform. I came as soon as I heard there was trouble.” He shrugged from under the Captain’s hand. “I’m here to help you know.”
Captain Frank took a step back, “If the Halflings break through either side, we’re surrounded. Your men will make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s your men that will make or break this battle.” He put his hand back, “So don’t think for a moment that I don’t respect you for what you’re doing, because I do.” He smiled broadly, “But there’s one thing you really should do first.”
“What’s that?”
“Rub some mud on that armor of yours or you’re going to look like a porcupine before this is all over.”
Edward shook his head, “Yeah, it looks pretty and official in the bank, but out here…”
Just then a Gargoyle swooped over the top of the cliff face. It flared its wings and settled as the men scattered from un
der it. “Who’s in charge?” It asked loudly.
Captain Frank let go of Edward and ran to the Gargoyle. “I am…”
“Nancy”
“…Nancy. I hope you’ve brought some friends with you,” he asked the large stone dragon expectedly.
“Well…”
A howl interrupted her.
The men all looked up as a Golem flew in an arc towards them, arms flailing as it fell. It landed in a heap beside her. It stood shakily and staggered back several steps. Men moved out of its way in case it fell over. “Flyin’s bad,” it said.
Nancy did a double take. “What took you so long?”
The Golem looked up at the sky. “Don’t like bein’ off the ground.”
Murmurs moved throughout the men as news of the imposing reinforcements spread outward.
“Well,” began Nancy, “there’s nine other Gargoyles coming and each is carrying a Golem so you’re up ten each in those categories. But there’s a problem with that.”
“What’s that?” Asked Edward.
“They’re still almost five minutes out.”
“That’s not so bad,” offered Frank.
“Yeah, but the Halflings…”
Just then, a Shambler crashed into Nancy. Nancy didn’t even budge as the Shambler bounced off and lay motionless. It’s neck obviously broken. The Gnome on its back cartwheeled off and also landed in a heap.
“What in the lands?!” Exclaimed Edward.
“They’re here!” Yelled Captain Frank as he drew his sword.
Soldiers stood and the Golem turned to look at the cliff. “Halflin’s” it said just as hundreds of Halfling soldiers poured over it.
“Attack!” Captain Frank shouted as he drew his sword. It was the only plan, and the only order there was time for at the moment.
Or ever would be.
Chapter Six
Wherein the Big Battle of Littlehorn Begins
The Halflings poured over the top of the cliff, expecting a hillside on the other side. Instead, they found themselves falling just over forty feet straight down. Over two hundred Halflings fell to their deaths before the mass of soldiers changed course and pealed left and right around the decidedly lethal drop.[5]
“Guard the flanks!” Captain Frank called as he broke into a run, “Follow me, Jutes!” He called with Mink close behind.
“We got the other side,” said Joachim as he prodded Edward, “stay sharp, Red.”
Edward frowned as he turned to address his fellow Julesville volunteers. “Keep an eye out!” He shouted over the rising din. “If one side is having trouble, move there to help! Don’t let them circle around us!” The men drew their swords and began to mill back and forth. As the Halflings encircled the small cliff, the men moved farther and farther back to engage them to keep them from circling back to the cliff face.
Nancy looked at her Golem, “Want to ride or fight on foot?”
“Flyin’?” It asked nervously.
“Yeah. That’s what I do.”
The Golem shook his head. He reached into the nearby fire and pulled out a four-foot log. “Nope,” it said flatly as it hefted the still-flaming hunk of wood. “Stayin’ down here.” It pointed at the ground.
“Good luck to you,” said Nancy as she unfurled her wings and took to the air with a swift downward stroke.
The Golem grinned widely as it moved forward to join the soldiers. Several men gave him a wide berth as he began to swing the flaming log with both hands, hurtling Halflings to and fro. Within two swings, even the Halflings gave the creature a wide birth. Or at least they tried to.
RatShambler came to as his neck popped back into place. The battle was raging around him. Everyone seemed to ignore the obviously dead Shambler. Gingerly he staggered to his feet. Bones popped and cracked as they moved back into position. “Drim!” He called as he scanned the area. There were Halflings, and unfortunately, Human and Dwarf bodies all around. “Drim!” He searched frantically for his friend. As just a beast of burden, neither the attacking Halflings nor the defenders paid him any mind; they both assumed he was a confused, riderless beast running to and fro as it searched for its rider. It was a fairly accurate assumption.
Captain Frank hacked and slashed as he stood his ground. He was well aware that every single soldier under his command would have to kill ten Halflings just for the battle to end in a draw. Unfortunately, he had seen many of his men die after causing far fewer -or no- casualties. To make matters worse, the battle had only been raging for five minutes. The man to his right, obviously not a soldier, already seemed to be tiring; his swings were far less enthusiastic. “Make sure you breathe!” He called to the men around him. “Move back if you need a moment, then get back up to replace someone else! Pace yourselves!”
He parried yet another thrust- for what they lacked in reach, the Halflings easily made up for in numbers. The story books were full of tales of a hero fighting hordes of villains who conveniently lined up to fight one at a time. Real battle was completely different; soldiers were surrounded and attacked from all sides. Often the wounding or killing blow came from an unseen foe. He spun madly as he fought; hoping to delay what he knew was the inevitable. Frank staggered back as the ground under him shook. He turned to see what sort of creature the Halflings had managed to bring with them- Rhinoceroses perhaps? Another Gargoyle crashed to the ground at the base of the cliff. Frank’s spirits lifted as he turned to run to the reinforcements, batting swords out of his way as he went. Unable to get them all, a Halfling’s thrust finally found its way between his breastplate and back plate, sticking in a full eight inches. Frank turned and staggered towards the Gargoyles as the blade pulled out leaving a trail of blood. His breath left him as he tripped back against a squat looking dragon. The Halfling advanced on the wounded Captain, so focused on finishing him off, he ignored the Gargoyle he was leaning against.
Reuben crashed down on top of the Halfling. “Gads! I hope that was one of theirs!” He said as he looked down at the unrecognizable heap under his feet.
“It was,” gasped Frank. He reached around and used Cerise to steady himself.
“They need a sign up there,” said Reuben. “Damn!” He stepped forward, “You in charge?”
Captain Frank put his hand to his side. Blood flowed between his fingers, “For a little while longer at least.” He managed a smile.
“What’ve we got?” Asked Reuben. In battles, it was often difficult to tell friend from foe; armor was often procured after previous battles and was selected by serviceability, not by style. Often warriors on two sides of a battle were identical armor making it difficult to know who was on whose side.
“Humans, Dwarves, couple of Half Orcs...” Frank’s voice trailed off.
“What’ve they got?” The Gargoyle interrupted.
Frank nodded weakly. It was a better question. “Halflings, just Halflings. No Mercenaries in this group.” His breathing became labored. “Glad you folks happened by.”
Reuben was taken aback; it was a rare human indeed that didn’t call Gargoyles ‘beasts’ or ‘creatures’. He nodded at the man then stood on his hind legs, “Only Halflings!” He bellowed over the din of battle. “Cerise, get him to the wall, love. I’ll meet you out there.” With that, he turned and, with a roar entered the fight.
Cerise gingerly walked towards the cliff face. As they went she was alarmed that Frank held on less and less. “Hang on, dearie,” she coaxed him. When she got there, she shrugged from under his arm. “Stay here. We’ll be back for you once it’s over.”
Frank leaned against the stone then slouched down into a seated position, yet still managed a chuckle. “Sure. I’ll just watch the show from here.”
Cerise nudged him over so his injured side was down, “That’ll make it easier to breathe. Just keep breathing, you!” She said as she too, turned to join the fray.
After several labored breaths, Frank disobeyed the nice Gargoyle he had just met.
Chapter Seven
&n
bsp; Gargoyles, Gargoyles Everywhere, and Oh the Halflings Did Shrink
Nancy banked sharply and once again nosed down into the rear lines of the Halflings from three hundred feet up; at the front of the battle, the lines were so intermixed she dared not attack there; that was for the ground forces. She closed her wings tight against her body. No longer aerodynamic, she gained speed quickly- for all intents and purposes, a falling one-ton stone. Within twenty feet of the ground, she falred her wings out wide and swooped in low. She left a forty-foot wide, fifty-foot long swath of destruction through the Halfling ranks. Most did not move after she plowed into them. The ones that did only thrashed on the ground after having been hit at shoulder-height by the leading edge of her stone wings at well over eighty miles per hour- an unheard of speed by anything but dragons, gargoyles and a handful of other flying beasts.
The Gargoyle flared her blood-stained wings and beat them down to regain altitude for another pass- what would be her third and probably her last; the Halflings were overrunning the defenders and soon it would be impossible to swoop down on only Halfling soldiers. Her wings strained as she fought for altitude to give her momentum. Foregoing the last hundred feet, she turned and began her dive. It was slower than her previous two, but time was of the essence. Closing her wings, she pointed her nose in the direction she wanted to go- even without her wings out, she could still guide her fall somewhat. Not nearly at the speed her previous dive, she nevertheless opened her wings wide and leveled out her flight at a mere two feet from the ground- legs tucked up tight lest they drag. As she cut the Halflings down she saw, ahead and to her left, a Halfling turn and look wide-eyed at her. He was holding a large, granite battle hammer. What an odd weapon for a Halfling she thought. With no time to react, and too low to the ground to maneuver right or left, she braced for the impact of the turned Halfling. Instinctively, he brought up the hammer to shield his face. Nancy grimaced as the war hammer connected with the leading ‘bone’ of her wing just outward from her talon; where the wing tapered smaller significantly. As the spar of her wing broke, the unsupported wing around it shattered. Suddenly missing a full quarter of one wing, she dipped precariously on her left side. Even tucked in, her claw dragged on the ground, further pulling her down. She tucked in her wings and rolled through the Halflings. At least a dozen more were dispatched as she rolled through them like a one-ton barrel.
Here's Looking For You, Grim (Tales From a Second-Hand Wand Shop Book 3) Page 4