by Billy Wong
"Not too good. We're about to experience what war really feels like, you know. That isn't the most appealing thought."
"We've already fought plenty of battles," Amber reminded him, "and slaughtered lots of monsters. I've even killed a few men, as you remember." The first time was when she'd been forced to slay two would-be rapists at the tender age of fifteen, over a year ago. She didn't enjoy killing people, but neither did the admittedly frightful act leave her with lasting guilt, since all those she'd slain deserved their fate.
"Yeah you've killed, and I had the misfortune of being there both times, but this is different. You're not just going to be taking lives in self-defense, but also watching many allies die around you at the hands of the enemy."
Amber wondered how well indeed she would take such sights. She didn't think herself a heartless person, being more than capable of concern and sadness for strangers she met in danger or distress. But she was emotionally resilient, rarely even having nightmares now after being run through and then abandoned by her own brother. "I'm sure I'll be fine, and you'll be okay too. I mean, look who our parents are!"
"Yeah, but that's not who we are. Do you think either of them was ever as much of a wimp as me?"
"You're not too bad, Corn Cob."
He averted his gaze. "I left you to die in a cave with a sword through you. Not exactly the thing for a good brother to do."
"If I ever get run through again, I'm going to make damn sure you stay by my side. But you're forgiven for the first time."
"I know, and thanks. Who knows, maybe this trip will do some good for my courage."
She smiled as in agreement, but inside, grew more worried for her less than fearless brother. What if he couldn't handle the rigors of war, and ended up broken by it? Or worse yet, got himself killed trying to prove his worth? Sometimes it was hard being the strong sibling, but Amber supposed she'd have to just do whatever she could for her poor Corn Cob. Wimp or not, he was still her brother. But though she loved him just as he was, she couldn't help but feel glad and hopeful at their father's attempts to instill some warrior confidence in Jacob by talking up his warrior heritage while they traveled.
Passing through Kayland's northern border, the family arrived after a few days at the town of Whitehill, near which Rose had fought a powerful ancient dragon in her youth. Amber marveled at how much colder it was less than a week's journey north from home. Now, she understood why her mother put so much emphasis on the chilly environment in tales of her northern adventures. It was definitely cold!
Yet Jacob didn't seem as bothered as either of the women despite him not even being quite as heavy as their mighty mother, chunky build notwithstanding. Finn was less affected still by the chill, although that might be expected with his enormous bulk. But weren't women supposed to take cold better than men? In their case, it seemed to go the opposite way... Then again, Rose had survived some nasty cold attacks which might've killed even her mammoth husband. Maybe the difference in their reactions could be mostly mental; they were all doing fine physically, a little discomfort aside.
In Whitehill, Rose stopped by her friend Horace's house to say hello to the aged blacksmith she hadn't seen since before her children's birth. He really was old, and Amber wondered at her mother's familiar description of him as a hearty, powerful warrior barely past his prime. Had it really been that long ago? Curiously, she asked Rose after they left Whitehill to continue north, "Just how old is Horace, anyway?"
"About sixty. Why?"
That was it? Amber had thought the man at least ten years older based on his appearance. "He looks so much older than that. Did something happen?"
Rose shook her head sadly. "He's been sick. You can never say for sure, but it's likely he won't live longer than a few more months."
"Why don't you magically heal him? You could do it, right?"
Her mother's frown deepened. "I don't know, and honestly doubt it, but I wanted to try. But he wouldn't let me."
"Why?!" Amber asked in surprise and confusion.
It troubled her to see Rose apparently close to tears as she explained, "Back when the dragon was around, fear of its evil magic ruled the locals' lives, because they had no idea when it would strike or who it would take; it pleasured itself by making sport of their terror. So now they're still scared of magic, even when it's a friend—the woman who saved them from the beast, mind you—who wields it! It's so stupid, that he'd rather die than face his fear..."
Amber agreed wholeheartedly it was stupid, but also realized, "I guess we still have a long way to go in making magic as accepted as it used to be. Maybe you can try some more to persuade him after we're done fighting the demon lord."
"Yeah, whenever that is." Rose's downcast look didn't convey much hope. But putting on her game face, she smiled. "Guess we'll have to hurry up and get rid of Dark Justice, then."
#
A week later, they arrived in the town of Yibal near the center of the Norh plains. Rose hurried to meet the chief in his squat cabin and find out more about the current situation. A towering shaggy-haired man in his early fifties, the leader Frild regarded her family with noticeable unease. She wondered what disturbed him so—was he simply wary meeting strangers for the first time, or uncomfortable with women being dressed as warriors?
Either way, she resolved to make any bad impression go away; they would need to trust one another in the vicious battles to come. "I'm Rose Agen, and these are my husband Finn and our children Jacob and Amber. We're here to help you against the monstrous threat. How are the preparations going?"
Not looking directly at her, Frild gave some insight to why he was nervous when he slowly revealed, "Not too well, I must admit. We've made hasty pacts with several of the closest villages, but... if one of us is attacked, it will take some time for the others to come to our aid, if they even muster the courage to do so. I'm afraid we won't stand a chance if the enemy plays it smart and strikes in multiple places at once."
So they had no reliable way to coordinate a joint attack against the monsters, if even their alliances for mutual defense were so shaky. She'd anxiously considered these possibilities on the way here. Considering the scattered locations of the settlements, they would have a hard time not being vulnerable even if they were more cooperative. Being used to living in small groups, it would hardly be reasonable to expect them to join up in one location. It'd be nigh impossible to support themselves on the resources they found nearby on the sparse plains. But then, they'd be easy prey if they stayed as they were. Quite the predicament.
Finn asked, "Do you have anyone watching the northern areas at least, for enemy activity?"
With sad eyes, Frild confirmed, "Aye, we have scouts looking out. But the unfortunate thing is, even if we see them coming, we might have no chance to prevent ourselves from being wiped out."
"If you and your neighbors can't commit to helping each other," Rose said, "you won't be able to survive this battle. Like you said yourself, you're very vulnerable right now, and if their leader is as canny as I suspect based on taking my old foe's name..."
Frild nodded. "I wish the others would see the need to put full effort into supporting each other. But I can't make them change their ways, as much as I wish I could."
Though his words sounded sincere, Finn tested him by asking, "If one of the neighboring villages asked for your help, would you send the bulk of your men?"
Hesitating for a moment before answering, he admitted, "No. For one thing we need to keep our defenses strong in case the enemy decides to attack us at the same time. And for another, I doubt they would commit the same effort to our aid."
"So how many warriors would you send?"
Scratching his stubby beard, he considered for a while. "Maybe a tenth of our men? We can't afford to weaken ourselves much."
A tenth! Even if every settlement in the southern Norh plains contributed a tenth of their forces against the monstrous legion reports indicated, it might not be enough to put up much of a fight. But Rose c
ould understand people not wanting to leave their homes and families defenseless to help another town. This was what happened, she thought, when monsters learned to unite in greater numbers than men. Men had to make big changes, or the monsters would win. But what changes could they make? They were in a corner, and Rose knew just one way to escape—to fight out of it.
Though she fully expected Frild to think her crazy, Rose suggested, "How about if we unite the warriors of all the villages and form an army of our own to strike the monsters where they least expect it, at home? We could probably match their numbers or close at this time, and with better weaponry, we'd have more than a decent shot. I doubt the monsters have gotten that used to working together either. One good attack could be all that's needed to break their tentative alliance and turn them back into the scattered troublemakers they used to be, at least if we get rid of their leader in the process."
She got pretty much the answer she expected. "It's a dream I've entertained once or twice since the monster army made its presence known. But we'd never get enough folks to agree to it and besides, we don't really know how numerous the enemy is now. Not too many would risk going blindly to face such danger."
"Of course if you're going to attack them, you'd have to gather some more knowledge on them first," Finn said. "But if you don't do something, aren't you just waiting for death? As things are going, you won't to be able to hold out against them if they mean to destroy you."
"I know. But what's there to do about it?"
Though the children had been quiet until now, Amber piped up. "Try, that's what. It's no good to continue in your old ways when you know they won't suffice, and only lead to your doom. So you've got to give a different method a chance, when yours isn't exactly working for you."
Frild looked at her. "Amber, right? You look so young, yet dress in the manner of a warrior like your mother. Can you fight?"
She answered eagerly, "I've fought and beaten my share of opponents in mortal combat. A few men, and many monsters." Rose had done the bulk of the work at Pental, but she'd certainly done enough to be proud of.
"That's impressive for one so young. Is your brother as much of a fighter as you?"
Even Amber looked sorry for Jacob. "He's his own man, and a good one." Rose could all but feel her son's embarrassment at the direct comparison to his sister.
Yet Frild's response swept aside minor things like that and replaced them with simple shock. "I ask because we'll be needing all the stout warriors we can get very, very soon. A few days ago, our scouts reported a large force of monsters moving south from their territory—apparently headed straight this way."
Taken aback, Rose wondered why he hadn't told them this sooner. Then again, they hadn't asked. Now it made perfect sense why he had seemed so nervous. But it didn't answer the real question—what were any of them going to do?
Chapter 5
"And I suppose you don't expect too much help from your neighbors, huh?" Finn asked with a glare at the somewhat cowed Frild. He certainly wasn't pleased at the way the chieftain had kept such an important detail as an imminent attack from them, if only for a few minutes. He along with his wife and children put themselves in grave danger to help these people; the least they could do was tell them everything they needed to know with proper haste! "So what are you planning to do?"
"Maybe you could flee," Jacob said. "Better than staying against odds you can't possibly win against."
"We could flee, if we had anywhere to go. But it'd be very difficult—none of the other villages could support us all even if they wanted to, so we would have to split up and scatter to the winds in the hopes somebody will take us in."
"Difficult's better than dying," Jacob argued. Finn agreed, but winning was even better, and he looked to find a way to pull victory even from this seemingly certain defeat with his indomitable wife. Could they save the town? It depended partly on just how many monsters would be involved in the attack, and partly on how bad the residents wanted to keep their homes. He and Rose had once killed over a thousand monsters in a day, but that'd been in defense of properly built fort and alongside a well-disciplined force of soldiers with good leaders. Fighting an army with uncertain quality of support in a town that would have makeshift fortifications at best, especially with their children, would be a nerve-wracking experience even for him.
Frild grunted. "We'll run when nothing more can be done. We don't intend to waste our lives. But we'd hardly give up our homes without a fight first!"
"Won't you be wasting lives by not running right away, before anybody gets killed? There's no way you're going to be able to save this town."
Amber told her brother, "Don't be such a pessimist. Like Mom said, the monsters probably aren't too disciplined or used to real resistance. If we put up a good enough fight, maybe they'll get second thoughts."
"Do you think the monsters will destroy your town if they take it," Rose asked, "or use it for themselves?"
"I think they'd keep it intact for their own use, considering they've been doing so with the northern ones they took already. They're not mindless creatures, and likely too lazy to want to build their own structures after destroying ours."
Rose nodded as if she'd gotten the answer she expected. "Maybe you should flee before the monsters arrive, and wait until they leave whatever force they intend to occupy Yibal and the rest go home. Then, we could take the town back without having to face the bulk of the army."
"Where will we stay while we're waiting? And what if they build defenses before we can strike?"
"It'll probably take a while before they get around to making much in the way of defenses. And you can just camp a short ways away until it's time."
Finn knew Rose to be kind at heart, but occasionally she forgot most people weren't nearly as hardy as her and her usual associates. "The young and elderly won't do too well camping in the cold outdoors for an extended time."
"They could take refuge in another village until the town is retaken."
"And how long do you think that'll take?" Frild asked.
"I don't know, that depends on the monsters and how quickly they decide it's safe for most of them to fall back. Normally I'd say it wouldn't be long, but their leader might make things different."
"This isn't the most certain idea."
Jacob said, "It's better than staying to confront the army head on, at least. A situation like this calls for the use of some smarts."
"Maybe we could wait and see how many they send before making a judgment," Amber put in. "If there aren't too many, we might be able to take them."
Frild nodded vigorously. "Yes, girl, I think it best if fight them head on. We'll show them our true strength and put the fear of the Norh plainsfolk into their fiendish hearts!"
If there weren't too many, Finn would be happy to just make a stand and repel the invaders. But it would have to be a pretty small portion of the horde to make a good match for Yibal's less than one hundred warriors... If he and Rose had come alone, the danger would be a bit less of a concern, but he didn't want to expose the kids to odds that were too overwhelming. "Your scouts didn't get too good a look, eh? We'll see when we have a better sense of their numbers, but let's keep Rose's plan in mind."
She smiled at his support and leaned close, hugging his waist tenderly. His beloved Rose, so strong and yet so gentle. Frild still stared at her with annoyance, but she returned his gaze calmly and said, "It's only a suggestion. But I have to admit, I think it was a good one."
Hostility faded from the chief's eyes, but he frowned. "What about the warriors the other villages send to our aid? We can't just run away and leave them here to fight the enemy by themselves, should we tell them not to come?"
"If they get here before the monsters do, which hopefullly they will, we can ask them to help with our plan. Either one we decide to use."
Frild spat. "We'll wait and see how many there are."
#
Within two days, scouts clarified that the force
heading towards Yibal numbered close to a thousand. It couldn't be nearly the whole enemy coalition, but still outnumbered the defenders by over eight times even after the twoscore of allied warriors arrived. Frild wisely agreed to Rose's suggestion of evacuating for the time being. They sent the noncombatants away, and the family along with Yibal's fur-clad warriors made camp in the wilderness south of town limits. Then, their plan fell apart.
"What's that sound?" Jacob asked frightfully as he heard the same cacophony of howling, shrieking, and whooping they all did.
Rose looked north through though nothing was visible as of yet and breathed, "The enemy."
"They're following us? What do we do?"
There was still time to flee, but if their leader ordered that they pursue the town's occupants, they might go after the weaker inhabitants. And if they led the monsters to another settlement, it would likely lead to complete disaster both in terms of innocent lives lost and damage to the relationship between Yibal and its neighbors. Gods, she hoped the fiends weren't already following the noncombatants too!
If that unpleasant eventuality came to pass, there was nothing to be done for it at the moment, but they could help if they solved their present problem in time. "We fight," she said, "and when we beat these, we go to Tirrn"—the village where Yibal's noncombatants had gone—"and relieve them if we have to."
Hearing her words, Frild smiled as he patted his battleaxe. Why did he view fighting these monsters with such anticipation—had something happened in the past, or was he just naturally battle-hungry? Either way, his poise marked him as a seasoned fighter Rose felt glad to have on their side. "I see you're not a total coward after all, woman. For a while there, I was getting worried you weren't the fearless warrior the legends say you are."
Well, she wasn't fearless, given she had more than sufficient fear for her children's safety. They were both capable fighters—Amber more than Jacob, but he too was a decent marksman who knew how to make his shots count—but had no prior experience in mass combat. It terrified her that in such chaotic battle, either of them might easily fall victim to a lucky blow, especially in their lighter armor.