by C. E. Swain
While Captain Brannor gathered the archers, and led them to the ruins, Menimeth flew west. He reached the camp of the elf scout along the stream by the old road, and found him among the trees soon after. They talked for several minuets about the enemy camp, and the movements of its men. When the dragon rider was once again in the air, he was armed with the latest information available.
Captain Brannor was waiting for him when he arrived at the ruins, along with the archers he had requested to set up the ambush. They had captured the enemy messenger, but could get nothing from him.
"He will not talk." Captain Brannor said, talking about the prisoner.
"He believes it was the traitor who told you where to find him."
"Then we will use that to our advantage." Menimeth told his dragon. "But you will need to be the one to take him to Argnon, if we are to make this plan work."
"I do not have to carry him in my mouth, do I?" The dragon asked.
"No my friend, you do not."
"Good, because this one, smells worse than the last one, and there is not enough water in the land to wash the taste from my mouth."
"It does not matter." Menimeth said to the Captain. "I will use his horse for now, and have Danorathin take the prisoner to Argnon."
"Someone will be there to take him to the dungeon." Captain Brannor said. "If he lands inside the garrison."
The look on the prisoners face as the dragon reached out and grabbed him with a front claw, was one of pure fright. The men of the western realm could hear him screaming as the dragon leapt into the air, and they laughed as they turned north to set up the ambush.
Danorathin caught up with Menimeth before they reached the first village, after dropping the prisoner off inside the garrison, and guided his master to the best place to attack the enemy. It was late in the day when they reached their destination and camped for the night, but the raiders had set up a camp as well, and would not reach them until midday of the following day. Menimeth did not hope to defeat the raiders, just to thin out their numbers, and retreat to set up another ambush farther south.
The next morning, the men were ready soon after daylight, and waited for the enemy to arrive. The day went by slowly at first, but as the enemy drew nearer, time seemed to speed up. Menimeth stood with Captain Brannor and discussed the plans once again.
"I will no longer need the horse." Menimeth told Captain Brannor. "From here on, I will be with my dragon."
"We will take it with us." The captain replied. "I will not leave it for the enemy to use against us again."
"Remember, only two arrows are to be fired before you and your men ride south to the next ambush site."
"The enemy will be here in less than two hours." Danorathin said to his master.
"Then the time has come to return to me." Menimeth replied.
"You have less than two hours." Menimeth said to Captain Brannor. "We will cover your retreat."
The dragon landed, and seconds later they were in the air again. They were soon out of sight of the men, but were close enough to help if they were needed. The men were ready when the raiders reached the ambush site, but waited until the leaders had passed before attacking. It took less than ten seconds for the men to attack and begin the ride south, and by the time the raiders had regrouped and reached the place the attack had come from, the solders of the western realm were gone.
Menimeth counted thirteen dead and several wounded, but the wounded were not hurt badly enough to hinder their ability to fight. Menimeth expected the raiders to chase their attackers, but they turned west instead. That route would not take them to any more towns or villages, but back to the camp of the enemy's main army.
After watching the raiders long enough to be sure they were not trying to get behind their attackers, Menimeth returned to where Captain Brannor waited with the men.
"The raiders have turned west again." He said, as he dropped from the back of his dragon. "They appear to be returning to the camp of the main army."
"Then will they return with more men?" Captain Brannor asked.
"No, I do not think they will leave the camp again, until their army begins to move east."
"And how long do we have, until they do?"
"Less than a week, but they will not be able to reach Argnon quickly pulling the siege weapons they have constructed." Menimeth said. "The raiders left their dead behind, so gather their horses, and strip them of their armor and weapons, then you can return to Argnon."
"As you command sire." Captain Brannor said with a smile, knowing how much the warrior disliked the title. "We are forever in your debt, your majesty."
"If he bows to me, eat him." Menimeth said as he turned to his dragon.
The men started laughing when Captain Brannor hurried to his horse, and quickly mounted it.
"You eat him, he is too old and he smells." Was Danorathin's reply, and Menimeth started to laugh as well.
"What did he say?" Captain Brannor asked, when he realized the dragon had spoken about him.
"He said you were too old, and you have a very bad odor about you," Menimeth replied, repeating what his dragon said.
The men started laughing harder when the captain's smile suddenly disappeared.
"I am not that old," He replied, and turned his horse in the direction if the dead enemy solders.
The men followed their captain still laughing, as the dragon and his rider flew south, and out of sight.
"We need to talk to Commander Rayden." Menimeth said to his dragon. "Take me to his camp."
"It will not take long, he is not far."
Within minuets they had crossed the Great Western Road, and were in the southern part of the realm. Menimeth could see the camp in the distance, and it was much larger than he had expected, stretching for more than a mile. The camp was set up in the military way, with the headquarters tent in the middle, and the smaller tents around it. A very large herd of horses grazed to the south, and were watched by several solders of the Lost Cavalry.
Danorathin landed in the assembly ground that was in front of the headquarters, and Menimeth dropped to the ground just as Commander Rayden and Dorben walked from the tent.
"How are you Commander?" Menimeth asked, as he walked to where the men stood at the entrance of the large tent.
"We thought you would be here much sooner." Commander Rayden replied. "But we are doing well."
"There have been many changes in the empire since last I saw you." Menimeth said. "And I have not been able to get here until now."
"That is the way it is with kings." Captain Dorben said. "They are always needed."
"The battle for the west is drawing closer, and it is you that will be needed soon." Menimeth told him. "I wish you to move your men to the south side of the town of Argnon, Commander. The enemy will leave their camp in the north, and began their advance on Argnon within a week."
"It will take us two weeks to move the camp." The commander said. "Do we have the time?"
"The enemy should not reach the castle for another two months." Menimeth replied. "But I wish all of our men in place before they arrive, to plan our defense."
"You wish all of the patrols recalled?" Captain Dorben asked.
"Yes, the only threat to the people of the empire is the enemy in the northeast, and they will not send men this far from the main army."
"Then we shall recall the men, and move to Argnon right away." Commander Rayden said. "We will be there in two weeks or less."
"Place your men in four different camps, and far enough south to avoid being detected from the road." Menimeth told the commander. "If one camp is seen, the others may still go undetected, and the spy might be captured easier."
"We will do as you wish, and I will start sending the men in small groups right away." The Commander replied. "We will be ready when we are needed."
"I will speak with you again when I have arrived with the Dragon Guard." Menimeth said. "And will make my plans for the defense of the west known then
."
"Then we will see you in Argnon." Commander Rayden replied.
"Thank you for your time." Menimeth said, and turned to walk back to his dragon.
It was late when Menimeth returned to the Dragon Tower, and the rest he knew he needed. Danorathin curled up in his favorite place while the dragon rider entered his rooms to remove his armor. The day was a success, but at what price he wondered. The enemy would be moving soon, and he needed all his warriors to be in the west before they reached Argnon.
Battles often hinged on one or two heroic acts, or the defeat of a leader. Menimeth believed that if Chidren were to fall in battle, the rest would not be so eager to fight, and many lives would be saved. His old enemy was drawing closer, and Menimeth looked forward, to bringing his evil life to an end. Soon he would get his chance, but even he would be surprised by the events that would unfold to allow him to do so, but in the end, he must still defeat him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Valiny sat in the office his father once used, and thought about the solders he was sending west. He had already suffered more losses than the other realms combined, but his father had helped to create the problem to begin with. If Beloran had not stopped the other realms from helping Falendor when he first asked for it, the east would not be sending as many men west as it was. Now, eight hundred men would be riding to Glansford to join the forces the other realms sent, and then they would send men to the west to form an army.
The summons was sent more than a week ago, but the last of the men were just arriving in the garrison. Within two days the men would be ready for the fight to come, and would begin the journey west. He ordered the banners of the realm to be left behind, but they were to dress in the colors of the east. The cloaks and sashes of the empire would be given to them at the garrison beside Corlindum, and anything else they would need, to fight for the king.
Valiny walked from the office, and down to the garrison where his captain readied the men. Extra horses were being taken to the king for the new army that he built to protect the realms, and Valiny wanted to be sure that the best horses were taken. In the months since he became the regent, he grew richer than his father ever was, because, without the expense of trying to become the king, the realm spent far less money, and became much richer.
Captain Sangrivol prepared the men of the east to ride from Grimmen. Most of the men were outside the garrison, but all of the officers were waiting inside, and Valiny took that opportunity to address them.
"You men will be the ones who fight in the first great battle of our time. I do not know what fortunes will befall you, but I know you will be heroic in your efforts. I wish that I could lead you in this fight, and stand with you in your victory, but the king will not allow it. So it is up to you men, to defeat the enemies of the empire, and return to your homes as hero's."
"We will not let you down, sir." Captain Sangrivol said. "We will depart at daybreak the day after tomorrow, and will not return until the battle is won, and the empire is free of its enemies."
"May the Great Dragon Mother, Mithendral, watch over you in battle, and make you victorious." Valiny said. "The Dragon Lord calls, and we will answer."
He used the old ways to send his men off to battle, and the old prayers to protect them. It was a dragon rider that would lead them, and it was the old ways that the dragon followed.
Valiny returned to the offices in the castle, and the business of his realm. In two days his men would depart for Glansford and the garrison beside Corlindum, to fight against the enemies of the empire. Not since the end of the lesser wars more than five hundred years ago, were the solders of the realms forced to defend their land against an enemy. The war for the empire was beginning, and only a victory in the west would allow them to prepare for it. It was all up to the king now, and the fate of the realms was in his hands.
*****
Borlund paced the floor often these days, and worried about his realm. The battle in the north was a success, and the brigands were all dead, but he still did not have enough solders to protect his lands. He was only sending two hundred men to Glansford, but that left him with only six hundred men to patrol all of the towns and villages of his realm. He did not really need them, because there were no more solders of the mage king in the realm, and even the bandits that had always been in the empire, stayed away from the roads and the people they once robbed.
Hobie was the youngest son of the regent, and would lead the men to Glansford, and the army they were forming from the solders of the realms. He knew that he would be taking orders from one of the Dragon Guard, but he did not know which one it would be. He cared little who it was though, because the king had trained them, and that was good enough for him. The stories of the fair at Argnon were told all over the empire, and Hobie wished he could have been there to see it. The dragon rider was a true warrior, and he admired him very much.
This was the first real battle he was to fight in, and the enemy was far bigger in number than any, he had ever faced before, but he was not worried. His men were well-trained fighters, and he had trained with them for most of his life.
Borlund waited in his office for his son, and paced the length of the room. He did not want Hobie to lead the men into battle, because he was afraid his son would not return. He did not understand why he felt he had to fight in the west, when he should stay and protect his home. He knew the allure of the warrior life could capture a man, and he knew it was not an easy life, but some men were born to it, and Hobie was one of those men. He seemed as if he paid little attention during training, distracted easily by the slightest thing, but he never missed anything the instructors said or did. He defeated his foes in training quickly, using the methods the instructor taught, which always surprised them.
"Must you lead the men in this battle?" Borlund asked his son when he walked into the room.
"You know I must." Hobie said. "The men deserve to be represented by their regent, and it is my place."
"You could stay here and protect our realm."
"By fighting in the west, I am, helping to protect the realm." Hobie pointed out. "If we lose the western realm, the north is sure to follow."
"That is why we send the solders to Glansford." Borlund said. "So the west will not be lost."
"And they will fight better with me at their side." Hobie said. "And we will return victorious."
"If you must go, then take the sword of our ancestors with you." Borlund said, and handed his son the ancient sword of their realm." It has served our family well for many generations, and its magic is still strong."
"Thank you father." Hobie said, as he took the sword. "I will return it when the battle has been won."
"You are to wear the colors of our realm when you go, but you are not to take our banners with you." Borlund said. "Those were the kings instructions."
"Then we shall follow the kings instructions." Hobie replied. "And we will be leaving at first light."
"Travel well my son, and watch out for the men on the battlefield, they will look to you for strength."
"Thank you father. I will see you when we return." Hobie said, and walked from the office.
The next morning, the men departed the city of Venteno as the sun was rising. They were dressed in the colors of their realm as the king requested, and the people cheered them as the rode from the city. Hobie felt the sun on his face, and the wind at his back, as they made their way south to the garrison at Glansford.
It was a grand adventure that he was on, but the battle at the end would not be so grand. Some of the men would not be returning from the battle in the west to be with their families, but he tried not to think about it. That was the way of war, and solders learned to live with it.
*****
Thadric walked into the garrison just outside the castle at Magdrin, to talk to Captain Quinly about the men he was leading to Glansford. When he found the captain, he was turning command of the garrison over to the officer he had chosen to replace him, whil
e he was gone.
"Captain Quinly, you are to wear the colors of our realm proudly, but the banners of the southern realm must stay behind." Thadric said. "You will be fighting under the kings banner, and will represent the empire in this battle."
"We will still be fighting for our realm." The captain replied. "Regardless of whose banner we fight under."
"I know you will make us proud." Thadric said. " Just bring as many men back as you can, we cannot afford to lose any of them."
"I will do my best, sir."
"That is all I can ask." Thadric said. "You are to take extra horses with you, one per man. They are to be given to the king for his new army."
"I will see to it sir." The Captain said. "Is there anything else?"