Chapter 42
Hammer Haven
Dagon and his men waited in the mine shaft until dusk, when the guards outside called a stop to the work day.
"Pass the ore buckets down the line," a Vagan guard shouted.
The shackled miners added the last pieces of ore they had chipped from the walls of the shaft to their buckets and began handing them down the line. Four miners at the head of the line pushed iron rocks into their shirts.
After a few minutes the same guard shouted out another command. "Now the tools."
One by one the shovels, picks, chisels and hammers were passed down the line to the guards who counted them and stowed them in carts outside the mine entrance.
"Out of there now, hands up, one at a time," the guard yelled into the mine. His voice echoed through the shaft.
Deimos, Otto, Olaf and Maki waited in shadow close to the mine's entrance. As soon as the first four miners exited the mine dragging their chains as they walked, the four Helsop men fell in beside the line of miners.
The first four miners suddenly pulled out their iron rocks and hit the two nearest guards over the head, knocking them to the ground. As the other two guards closed in with clubs, the Helsop men hit them from behind, hard enough to stun them.
Following behind the slow moving line of shackled miners, Dagon and Tandor reached the entrance to find the guards stripped of their clothes, gagged and shackled with their own chains. Maki, Otto, Olaf and Deimos were putting on the guards' clothing while the long line of miners passed along the keys to free each one in turn.
"Give me one of those shirts," Dagon said. "I have an idea."
Deimos handed him the shirt of the guard closest in size to Dagon.
"Any problems?" Dagon asked Deimos as he donned a Vagan tunic.
"None." We will keep the guards gagged so they can not raise an alarm as we near the forges."
Steig was the last man to free himself of his shackles. He held up the shackles and grinned. "After we put the guards at the forges into these shackles we'll be taking the keys along with us. They can be thinking of us while they try to saw their way out of this fine Hammer Haven iron."
Dagon nodded. "Stay hidden until we have put the castle Vagans to sleep."
Dagon and Tandor wished the others luck and started up the hill, toward the castle. They kept to the shadows as the Hammer Haven men began their trek down the hill to free their brothers in the forges.
Dagon and Tandor stayed in the cover of trees until they reached the outcrop of rocks that offered a view of the castle courtyard. They watched as the Vagans began to settle around fires for their evening meal.
"We have to get to that square building attached to the castle. That's where they keep their ale," Dagon whispered to Tandor.
"Let me go. I'm a fast runner and could be mistaken for one of the youths delivering ale," Tandor said.
"No. We will go together. I will haul you along by your collar as though I am a Vagan about to teach you a hard lesson. We will try to stay to the shadows, but if someone should notice us, my shirt should convince them I am a Vagan."
"All right," Tandor agreed.
The two men stayed hidden until they reached the edge of the courtyard. They waited until no one was close by and then Dagon pushed Tandor roughly before him, half dragging him to the square building. No one seemed to notice except one youth just emerging from the square building with a jug of ale.
Dagon put his finger to his lips and motioned the youth back into the building. The frightened boy stepped backwards and Dagon grabbed the jug before it fell to the ground.
Once inside, Dagon asked the boy if he knew Steig. The boy nodded, fearing to speak.
"I am here to help Steig. We are all going to escape the Vagans this night. Are you a brave lad?"
The boy looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. Then he seemed to control his emotions. "Steig is my uncle."
"Good. Good. Then I am sure you are a brave lad. I am going to pour a bit of this liquid into each jug of ale you take to the Vagans. Before long they will drop off to sleep. Can you do this without giving away our plan?"
The boy stood up taller. "I can do this."
Dagon poured a few drops of the sleeping potion into the jug. "Say nothing to the other boys. We will speak to them one at a time. What is your name?"
"I am Olaf."
Dagon clasped his shoulder as he went out the door. "Go then, Olaf. Soon your family will be free."
Within minutes another boy raced through the door with an empty jug. He skidded to a stop when he saw Dagon and Tandor waiting inside.
"We are friends of Olaf," Dagon said. "We are here to rescue you from the Vagans."
The boy looked around. "Only you?" he asked.
"No, we are many, but we still need your help. Do you ever take ale down to the guards that wait with the boats?"
"Sometimes. When one of the Vagans tells me to."
What is your name, Son?"
"I am Leif."
"We know another Leif. An old man who came to our village."
Leif's eyes opened wide. "My grandfather?"
"I believe he may be. He escaped and came to ask for help when the Vagans attacked Hammer Haven."
Leif's eyes filled with tears. "I knew he wasn't dead."
Dagon took the jug and filled it with ale, then added a few drops of the sleeping drug. "Fill a few cups and then take some down to the guards at the boats. It will put them to sleep. Take care you give nothing of our plan away."
One by one the young boys came in for jugs of ale and one by one they left with ale doctored with drops of the sleeping potion.
Olaf returned, his eyes shining with excitement. "They are beginning to fall asleep. It is working. Should I go to tell my mother?"
Dagon smiled at the boy. "Not yet. There is time enough after all are asleep. Keep filling the cups for now."
Before long, the courtyard was filled with the snores of sleeping men. Dagon and Tandor ventured out among them with clubs in their hands, ready to use the old fashioned method of inducing sleep if necessary.
The men of Hammer Haven emerged from the trees, full of unspent resentment for their captors. They kicked the sleeping Vagans, ready to club them if they showed any signs of consciousness.
"We have no time for revenge," Dagon cautioned. "Find your wives and children and head for the boats. We leave tonight."
The men raced into the castle and their arrival was greeted with cries of joy as they were reunited with their families.
Steig returned with his wife and three children huddled around him. "Some of the men want to throw all these sleeping men into the river and take back their village," he told Dagon.
"Their victory would be short lived. Others would come. At least this is what Leif told me," Dagon said.
Steig nodded. "I believe he is right. But what of your village? Can it survive such an influx?"
"We have new markets open for our tools and weapons. If you are willing to work, you will be welcome."
"We have never shied away from work. I will speak to my men." Steig kissed his wife and stepped into the light of a campfire to call the Hammer Haven men together.
When most of the men were assembled, he spoke in a loud voice.
"We are offered sanctuary in the village of those who left Hammer Haven in our great grandfathers' time. I believe we should go and rejoin them these many years later. They have markets for their tools and more orders than they can fill. If we kill these Vagans and stay, the brothers of these will come and take their place as our overseers. Are we in agreement?"
The men conferred quietly together and before long all came and stood with Steig.
Steig turned to Dagon. "We are ready."
"To the boats then," Dagon shouted.
The whole of Hammer Haven, some two thousand strong, swarmed down to the river where the boats stood at anchor.
Dagon and his men were out in front so they saw it first. Coming down the river, two Vagan boats, full of river pirates, alight with torches, were heading in their direction.
"Take cover! Take cover!" Dagon shouted.
Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine Page 44