As she edged closer, she could make out a large circle of stone pillars. Neatly engraved images danced around the smooth surfaces like nymphs playing in waterfalls. In the distance, she spotted the cabin where the smoke originated from.
Andra hesitated as she looked from the cabin to the large circle of stones.
A Druid temple in its full glory.
The stones were twenty one feet tall, etched with ancient symbols and riddled with battle scars. They circled a large flat granite alter that was riddled with deep veins that streamed from its interior. Oddly, the snow had not fallen inside of the stones and the grass waved gently in the wind as snow kissed Andra's eyebrows. Andra jumped, caught off guard, by a deep flavorful male voice from behind her.
“From what great brow have you sprung?”
Andra turned and carefully maneuvered the warhorse to get a better view of the man. She tried not to look impressed by the dark skinned foreigner. His head was neatly shaved and he had no facial hair what-so-ever. His eyes were as dark as his skin, a brown the color of cocoa beans, and his attire was strange. A set of heavy broadswords crisscrossed on his back and gold hooped earrings dangled from his ears.
His face was strikingly beautiful, not handsome like Kagan's, but beautiful. His nose was straight and slightly pointed with almond shaped eyes with black lashes. He was tall and well defined, not thick with muscle, but very well-toned from the cords in his neck to the stretched length of his legs.
He wore a strange kilt that was more like short pants that were baggy in the crotch. His arms were covered in gold bracelets and his fingers were adorned with gold as well. Andra studied his face as he took a step to his left.
His right eyebrow was pierced and four small hoops dangled from the black slope. His perfect nose was also pierced on the right and four hoops dangled there as well. His bottom full lip twisted and Andra saw his snow white teeth, they were as perfect as his nose. He smiled and took a deep bow.
“I fell from King Tanferi's bow, whence do you fall?”
“Do ye ask where I came from?” Andra tried to muffle her voice, “Ye speak strange in the country of highlanders.”
“Ah, I am not from this land, but I see that you are. I merely ask from what house were you born.” His voice was charming and held no accent.
“I come from the Duncan clan.”
“I see that you are cold. I hope that you can entrust yourself to me while you obtain warmth from my fire and sustenance from my hearth.” He turned and went to his cabin, opening the door and bowing.
Andra hid behind her disguise and dismounted her horse. A man would gladly take his offer and have no fear. She followed as the horse sauntered off to the stone circle, to green grass and warmth. Andra entered the cabin and instantly her stomach rumbled from the smell of fresh cooking meat.
“Please, sit down and I will cure the rumble in the pit of your stomach,” he said as he pointed to a large pallet of cushions and furs.
Andra sat down, acting her part, and sprawled out on the cushions, “What country do ye come from stranger?”
“The land of the kings. It is far from here and you must cross many lands to get there.” His answer seemed almost like he was skirting around his birth place.
“I ha'e ne'er heard of ye land of the kings. Does it go by another name?”
“Indeed it does. Necropolis, the city of the dead, was where I was born.” His reply was given as he handed her a bowl of the sweetest smelling stew. “You may want to remove your mask before you partake of my kindness.”
Andra gave him a narrowed look and he grinned, “Fear not, I know you are a woman hiding in men's clothing.”
Andra frowned as she slid the scarf down to her neck, “What is ye name?”
“Jahfar,” he answered as he sat down opposite her, “And yours?”
“Ell'andra,” she mumbled as she sipped the stew. It flooded her mouth and she smiled as she swallowed it, “This is good. What is it?”
“My own recipe. Here, take this, it is chocolate.” He grinned as he handed her a flat slim piece of dark brown velvet.
She nibbled on the edge and took a deep breath, “Oh my! Ye choc...choc o lat is good.”
“Then eat, I have plenty more.” And she ate as her appetite demanded.
“Are ye a warrior of some kind?”
Jahfar stood as he offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet, “I am many things.”
“Ye ha'e swords on ye back as if ye were a warrior but there is more about ye than meets my eye.” She edged to the door to look to her horse. He was grazing happily in the grass.
“I am many things. I am a priest, I am a warrior, I am a prince, I am a man, I am a humble servant of Ra, and together it makes me Jahfar.”
He opened a large trunk and threw her a heavy fur lined cloak and covered his shoulders with another one. He dug farther into the trunk and pulled out a wad of long glove like ribbons. Andra was soothed by the sound of his bracelets chiming together.
“Is Ra ye god?” Andra asked as they stepped out into the snow.
“He is. What name does ye god go by?” He inspected the four fur stockings in his hand and looked at her horse.
“My god is Fae, but the god of the highlands is Dagma.” She answered as they reached her horse. “Is Ra male or female?”
He lifted her horse's hoof and slid the moccasin onto his leg, “He is male, but I also believe in many other gods, both male and female.” He continued to repeat his process with the rest of the horse's legs.
“Thank ye for ye kindness. I must be on my way,” she smiled as he offered to assist her in mounting the tall warhorse.
“Perhaps I will join you later on your journey,” he stated as he hoisted her small foot upwards with his hands.
Andra cracked a large grin, “But I ha'e na told ye where I am goin'“
“Your trail leads to the city where the war is raging and I long to see battle again.” His eyes grew larger with the thought of sword play.
“Only if ye bring more of ye choc O lat.” Her laughter spilled from her eyes, “And swear that we can become great friends.”
Jahfar's deep laugh and blinding smile was answer enough as she galloped away. He watched her until she disappeared into the hillside and turned on his heel. He instinctively knew he had just made a great ally and he silently thanked Ra, Dagma, Zeus, and any other name he used for the chocolate. He looked up to the sky and was treated with a show of lightning bolts in a cloudless sky. He bowed before the god that watched over the earth and whistled. His own massive tan horse snorted from behind the cabin and came to his hand.
Andra dismounted her horse and stayed with the shadows along the boulders of the army's camp. The tents were in need of repair and told a sad tale. Kagan's red and gray tent was amid the mess of tired, injured warriors and a medicine woman feverishly worked to save what lives she could. Her hunched back and old hands worked miracles as Andra sat back against a tree. She kept her eyes on Kagan's tent as the men settled in for the sleep that desperately sought them out. Twenty guards were posted on the outskirts of the camp and she frowned. She had easily crept by them, unnoticed.
She looked to the rocky hillside and decided to change her position. She quietly climbed and perched herself on the top of a rock that jutted out from the crest of the hill. She could see in all directions and could hear the cold wind whipping at the tents below. Her frown deepened. Why was Kagan being so careless? Surely he had not made it through life as a warrior leaving his army unprotected from unseen forces. Hushed voices reached her ears and she slid down the rock's side to hide in the shadows as two men neared her presence.
“They will attack us at first light. I want twenty men in each of the trenches and ten archers on both sides of the hill. Send fifty of the farmers to the fields to the left of us. Make sure they wait 'til I give 'em the signal 'fore they attack. Ha'e ye given e'eryone a red banner for their arms?” It was Kagan's wonderful voice that gave the othe
r man his orders.
“Aye, I ha'e instructed 'em to do as ye wish. They did'na understand the concept, but they willingly listened.” Crimm looked to the rock and grinned, “E'ery one on our side ha'e the banners on their arms as we speak. They will know who is enemy and who is'na.”
“Good, then we wait.” Kagan and Crimm walked to the rock and Crimm perched himself on top of it as Kagan leaned beside of him.
Andra held her breath as they peered across the snow covered highlands. Andra heard the commotion in the camp the same time as Kagan and Crimm. They all turned and watched as Llana stormed out of Kagan's tent.
Andra gritted her teeth and turned to see Kagan stalk down the rocky hillside towards his tent and Llana. Her heart froze as she watched his broad back flex and his hand went to his hilt, as it often did when he was angered.
“I wondered how long it would take ye to get here.” Crimm stated as he turned around and looked down on top of Andra's head. “Good thing I can smell ye or I might of attacked ye thinkin' ye was an enemy.”
Andra groaned and stood up, “I came to help.”
Crimm chuckled, “Nay, ye came to check on Kagan.”
Andra crossed her arms, “Ye know I can fight better than most of the men here and my sword arm needs some practice.”
Crimm grinned and handed her a red ribbon, “Ye know what to do.”
Andra wrapped it around her arm and tied it securely in place, “I need another one. I ha'e a friend who will be joinin' me shortly. He is a warrior from a faraway land and I ha'e a feelin' he will be useful in battle.”
Crimm's grin spread as he handed her another ribbon, “Prepare yeself little sister. There will be bloodshed in the first light of the morn. The likes of which ye ha'e ne'er seen.”
“The only blood I will falter to belongs to ye.” She turned and slipped down the hillside towards her horse to wait for Jahfar because she knew without a doubt he would come.
“Ye came to protect Kagan, na me.” Crimm whispered as his grin turned into a full blown smile, “Ye came to protect that which belongs to ye, the man’s heart.”
The sun was nearing the horizon when the first battle cry was heard. Scores of nomads barged into the campsite. The seemingly sleeping warriors did not stir and lay about the camp site as still as if death had taken them in their sleep.
The nomads stared blankly at one another as seconds ticked away. The camp was quite, except for the sound of crackling embers from the camps' large fire, and the invading forces backed up, knowing they had fallen into a trap.
The hillside opened up and warriors streamed from every direction. The mighty war cry from the laird was heard above all others as swords sliced through the air and metal met metal. The nomads stood their ground and fought back as the sun drenched the battle with light.
The castle in Fendenbriar was sealed tighter than a cask of fermenting ale and its cowardly keeper sat shaking in his bedchamber with his wife sobbing at his feet. His eyes were wild and his pupils were dilated to the size of small ink blots. His mind raced in thousands of directions and could not harness any sense of the commotion that entered his ears. His mind was that of a lunatic and he stood without knowing the direction he wanted to go.
His wife clung to his leg and begged him to remember her name. He looked down and cackled with the sudden splendor of ignorance. He was mad, or so it seemed to those around him, and Darten McKregan walked out of the gates of Fendenbriar to join his brother in battle with a smile on his devilish face.
Andra and Jahfar stood side by side as the third wave of nomads crushed through the farmers. She mentally took note of the thirty men that swarmed them as she danced with her sword. It sang through the air as it sliced down the men with ease. Their screams were horrid as body parts and blood littered the ground at her feet. Jahfar smiled as he hacked his way through the crowd of less than adequate fighters. He grinned as a large man stepped before him. The man held two axes, one in each hand and a necklace of ears graced his broad neck.
A worthy opponent!
Andra turned from Jahfar and edged closer to Kagan's side where he fought like a lion. More nomads filed into the camp as Kagan's war cry burst out. All his men on the field of battle fell to their stomachs as well as Andra and Jahfar. The archers had already aimed and the shots were fired into the nomads. They fell one at a time from arrows lancing through their chests and arms. Several arrows met eyes and foreheads.
Andra prayed their suffering would end as their screams clutched her heart. She turned onto her back as a sword fell from above and met hers.
She held the blade at bay as she struggled to roll from the attack. He was strong and Andra could not force him back. She kicked at his shin, but he held his ground. Her arms threatened to give way when the man relaxed and she rolled to the side. He fell forward onto his face as Kagan's sword slid from his back. She stood and bowed slightly, thanking him.
He eyed the strangely dressed little warrior and nodded his head as another nomad fell at his feet. He watched curiously as a tall dark skinned warrior downed a nomad that threatened the small one from behind. The act went unnoticed by the small one who was slicing through the oncoming nomads.
Kagan caught his breath as honey and vanilla filled his nostrils. Ell'andra!
He quickly cut his way back to the small warrior and gritted his teeth as he looked upon the sword that effortlessly sliced the nomads down. Kagan punched a screaming nomad in the face as he ran to attack a warrior that was so easily killing his comrades.
His fist was mighty and the man was sent backwards several feet. His neck snapped before he landed on the ground and Kagan turned to the small warrior once more. The dark warrior advanced and met Kagan's stare.
Over the screams and clanging steel, Kagan heard his words as if they spoke in private, “Come no farther laird. The battle at hand is in need of your attention. Mine will be on protecting this one.”
Kagan watched as swords fished through the air all around him. His men were unequaled in battle and the nomads were falling like flies. Kagan growled as a dozen more nomads filtered into the battle. He had known the nomad army had grown in size but he had not realized they had tripled their forces. Kagan's growl of discontent turned to disgust as the flat end of a nomad’s sword struck him in the back.
He turned, grabbed the man by his neck, and sent him sprawling into one of the tents. It collapsed around him as his head struck a rock, knocking the man unconscious. Kagan's shout was heard and the trenches were uncovered. Sixty of his men surrounded the campsite turned battlefield, and all held long spears, ready to attack at the lairds command. The farmers that lay in wait in the field, rose up and crowded the remainder of the nomads into the hillside.
What nomads were still alive in the camp dropped their swords and weapons as Kagan stalked about. Crimm laughed as they stilled and sat down in a huddled circle. They knew they had been defeated and awaited their ends.
Kagan's face was grim, not the face of a victor, but the face of a very agitated man. Crimm chuckled as he watched Andra and the black knight disappear into the rocky hillside.
Now, I just wonder what Kagan is going to do about this!
The night air was heavy and damp when Darten returned to McKregan Keep. His mission had been a success and the war had been won thanks to the aid of Haley's potion. Kagan had sent him home while he stayed behind to sort through the mess of affairs. Kagan was the politician, not Darten. Darten did not have the stomach to listen to the woes of wealthy landowners and the demands of the people. He was a warrior and naught else.
It had been almost a year since he had seen Haley, but he had thought of her often. As he dismounted his horse, he looked to the keep's entrance. Was she still here? If she was not, he would go to Haggart's place in the morning. He would search the seven seas until he found her. She was the only woman he had ever wanted to claim as his. The only woman he had fell for.
Sure, he had lain with many beauties and had enjoyed their lovely faces.
She was different. She was meant for him and he wanted her more than life itself.
Darten turned as he heard light footsteps. Andra walked into the stables and smiled. Darten bowed and went to her side.
“It is good to see ye milady,” Darten stated as he took her hand and placed it upon his arm.
“Aye, I ha'e missed ye,” she replied, “Do ye ha'e news of Kagan?”
“He is well. He stays at Fendenbriar to take care of the aftermath. He sends his apologies for takin' so long to conquer his enemies and he hopes ye ha'e made new friends.” Darten smiled as his legs grew accustomed to the ground once again. In his weariness, he missed the expression on her face as she looked to the keep's third floor.
“And Crimm? How does he fare?” Andra led him to the garden and perched herself on a bench. “Is he comin' home as well?”
“He stays with Kagan, as he always does in any battle. Ye would think he was Kagan's guardian angel 'cept for his lack of wings. Kagan has ne'er lost a battle and sometimes I think it is 'cause Crimm is at his side.”
Andra smiled, glad that Crimm protected Kagan. She closed her eyes and pushed the battle scene from her mind. “I miss him Darten. I long to see his face.”
Darten pulled her to his chest and embraced her, “Kagan is a great warrior lass, he comes home soon. He will come back to ye.”
“It is'na me he will return for, it is his lover. The king has commanded he take a wife but he will keep his lover.”
Her words were sad and Darten kissed the top of her head as he tried to comfort her. “Kagan speaks of ye often and wishes he was here with ye. Remember, he is laird and has duties upon his brow.”
“It is'na his duties or honor that I question. I love him and he loves her. What do I do 'bout that? How am I supposed to marry him knowin' he does only because the king has ordered it to be so?”
Darten grinned, “Kagan donna do anything the king orders. If he is marryin' ye it is 'cause he wishes it.”
“Well, hello Darten. I was'na expectin' ye back so soon.”
A Warrior's Perception Page 19