by R. E. Palmer
‘And you, ma’am?’
‘I have to destroy those weapons. We cannot hold out if he brings more into range.’ She whistled for Sea Mist. ‘I’m going out with my knights, it’s our only hope, I don’t know any—'
‘Ma’am!’ For the first time since she had met him, Ruan looked shocked. ‘You won’t last one minute. They’ll be pouring through the gate. You’ll never get out.’
She yelled above the commotion. ‘There’s more than one way out onto the plain, Ruan.’ She referred to the postern gate to the south. ‘We can ride out and strike in the dark. They won’t see us until it’s too late.’
Sea Mist galloped across the cobbles with his head held high. She whispered to her horse. ‘I’m sorry, Misty, but I need you to be brave for me.’
Ruan stooped with his fingers locked and hoisted Elodi onto the saddle. He reached up and grasped her forearm. ‘Ride true. Strike fast, ma’am.’
Elodi returned the guard’s grip. ‘May the Three be with you, Ruan. Hold the gate as long as you can. This isn’t over yet.’ She squeezed her knees and Sea Mist trotted to meet Aldorman, who had guessed her intention. She greeted him. ‘I ask a great deal from you and your knights, Captain. But the very survival of Calerdorn is at stake.’
Aldorman sat tall on his horse. ‘All have made their vow to you, ma’am. All are ready to honor that promise. And’ — he leaned forward — ‘I wish to make amends for my failure at Durran Wood.’
‘Nonsense, Captain. You have nothing to make—'
‘You can’t be serious, ma’am!’ She turned as Wendel hobbled across the yard. He steadied himself with a hand on her saddle as he caught his breath. ‘You’re surely not contemplating going outside, ma’am?’
‘That I am, Wendel.’
‘But this is madness. Please, ma’am, I beg you, for the sake of the realm.’
‘This is for the sake of the realm. If the city falls, so does Harlyn.’ She adjusted the bridle. ‘I am superfluous here. Ruan and Gundrul are in command at the vital points of the city, I shall take command on the plain. Father taught me to lead from the front, and I intend to do just that.’
Wendel held up his hand. ‘Please, ma’am, there’s something you must—’
Elodi gathered the reins. ‘It will have to wait. Now please step aside, Wendel. We shall speak later.’
He stood back and patted the horse’s neck. ‘I dearly hope we do, ma’am.’
She nudged Sea Mist and set off across the yard to the street leading to the south gate. He hesitated as another explosion shook the city. ‘Steady, boy, steady.’ Aldorman drew level as another missile struck the inner wall. Elodi yelled. ‘They’re moving closer.’ She spurred Sea Mist on. ‘Not a moment to lose, Captain. To the gate!’
The sky glowed a deep orange, lighting the faces of her people who stopped and stared as the knights rode by. Elodi met their wide eyes, desperate to reassure them the city was not yet lost. But this would be the first time she had ridden into open battle. The foe outside had fought many, often among themselves, and would cherish the opportunity to humiliate a leader of a realm. Her jaw clenched. Uldrak had made a mistake in underestimating her resolve. And for that, she would make him pay.
Elodi and her knights reached the narrow postern gate, surprising the guards who maintained their watch. She ducked and guided Sea Mist through the tight bend and out of the city. Outside, the narrow stretch of land between the mountains and Calerdorn was strangely quiet, shielded from the fiery glow and noise of the battle by the southern stretch of the wall.
Elodi turned and faced the knights streaming out of the gate. She looked along the line, making eye contact with every one of them. She stood up in her saddle. ‘Knights of Calerdorn, we don’t have long, our time is short. You know the long history of your order, founded by Dorlan’ — her heart skipped a beat — ‘no less. In dire times, our knights have shown great bravery and ridden to defend the realm. I don’t have to tell you this is such a time.’ She turned to the east. ‘Stealth and speed are the key. We’ll split into four corps and seek out their heavy weapons. Destroy them and move on. Trebuchets first, then, if we have the resources, the ballistae next. Keep moving, keep burning, don’t let yourself become trapped.’ She steered Sea Mist to face the plains, drew her sword and held it high. ‘For the Five Realms! For Calerdorn!’
Elodi kicked on and cried. ‘And for Dorlan!’
Heat coursed through her veins as Elodi led her knights to battle. She had spent the night watching events helplessly from the wall, but now she could make a difference. This was her moment. She rounded the curve of the south wall to be slammed in the face by the heat and cacophony of the conflict. But she held her nerve, driving Sea Mist onwards to meet the challenge. Instantly, she picked out the artillery raining death onto her people. To her left, the bulk of Uldrak’s forces swarmed at the base of the outer wall, scrambling up the many ladders scaling the defenses. More thronged at the breached gate. Of Uldrak, she could see no sign, assuming he remained focused on breaking through the inner wall’s defenses.
Undeterred by the greater numbers, she spurred Sea Mist on with her sword drawn, hurtling towards the unsuspecting crews of the war machines. She would make them regret the day they came to Calerdorn. How dare they bring death and destruction to her people. They would soon feel the cold steel of her blade twist in their guts.
Elodi yelled against the din as she rapidly closed the gap on her target. She fixed her eyes on the tall, gangly structures hurling their fire at her city. She counted four, including another, possibly brought forward from Uldrak’s reserves. The monsters had crept closer, so every volley now crashed over the inner wall. Her eyes lit up. With Uldrak’s infantry now committed to the ladders, they had left their machines unprotected.
Her knights divided into four. Elodi waved her sword, directing each corps to its destination, choosing the furthest machine for her cohort. Cries from the closest trebuchet signaled the first strike. She glanced back to see a knight ride down a Ruuk carrying the torch ready to light the projectile; instead, he fell, setting the platform ablaze.
Elodi urged Sea Mist on. The crew of her objective spotted the attack, but had little to defend against the onslaught of her horses. The heavy jackets protecting them from the heat, afforded the Ruuk limited movement. They leaped from the platform, drawing their swords to little avail. Sea Mist charged down the first, swerved past a second, then onto the wagon stationed behind the weapon. Elodi dipped, scooped up a torch, turned and launched it onto the wooden base. The crew had been careless, soaking the deck with spilled fuel. Instantly, it flared, sending a blast of defiant heat back at her. She ducked and watched the flames eagerly take hold. Behind, her knights mowed down those left standing, then circled about to finish the job in hand.
Elodi drew Sea Mist to a halt and quickly surveyed the scene. To the rear, Uldrak’s reserve machines sat in wait, but without the squads to operate them, they posed no immediate threat. Back at the walls, the ballistae were on the move. Elodi made her decision. She stood up in her stirrups and circled her sword above her head. ‘To the gate!’
The four cohorts wheeled, formed a line, and drove at the rear of their foe. As she drew near, Elodi spied a company of crossbowmen rapidly forming a wedge to face them. She dipped, placing her head close to Sea Mist’s neck. ‘Stay with me, boy. Stay with me.’ A hail of darts brought down three knights at her side, but she rode on, determined to charge them down before they could reload. Sea Mist tore up the ground, covering the distance in no time. Elodi braced herself for the impact as her wall of knights smashed into the lightly armored formation. Sea Mist stumbled but held his course through the line, taking down half a dozen Ruuk. She twisted and turned, raining down blows on the heads of those grabbing at her legs, attempting to drag her from her saddle. Elodi fought off the last assailant with a kick to his throat, before Aldorman drew level and finished him with a swift blow.
She gasped for air. ‘The ballistae! We have to re
ach them before they gain the city.’
Aldorman nodded. ‘Leave them to us, ma’am. You should head back.’
‘I shall do no such thing, Captain. The job’s not done.’ Elodi rose. ‘To the city!’ She patted Sea Mist’s glistening neck and yelled in his ear. ‘Ride! Ride for Calerdorn!’ He kicked on, surging ahead as if he alone would save the day. Elodi’s eyes widened, taking in every Ruuk, every formation, and every probable outcome in a second. She had never felt more alive, more energized, and more driven to serve her realm.
‘Spears!’ She called back. A wall of spearmen, three-deep, rushed to block their dash for the gate. In the growing light, Elodi could see fear in their eyes beneath their crude, metal skull caps. And fear her they should! She lowered her sword as they leveled their spears, keen to impale the bellies of her horses. Without a word from Elodi, Sea Mist accelerated and leaped as if hurdling a hedge in a field. A handful of her knights made the jump, but others in the front rank met their end on the spear tips. Sea Mist landed heavily on the other side, but Elodi clung on, steering about to slam into their rear. With renewed vigor, she and her knights slew and scattered the last of the spearmen.
Elodi glanced about her. Less than forty knights remained saddled with most carrying an injury, or missing part of their armor — but it had to be enough. She yelled, despite her hoarse throat. ‘One more push! We have to clear the gatehouse.’ Elodi drove on. Ahead, the rear ranks spun about on hearing the thunder of their hooves. But they were no match for Calerdorn’s finest, and many fled, chancing their luck on the ladders. The way soon cleared. To Elodi’s relief, the ballistae had pulled back, unwilling to risk damage from the hail of arrows from the gatehouse battlements.
Elodi reached the gate and slowed Sea Mist. Many lay dead in the narrow pathway between the main and inner gates, but in the midst, a dark shell of shields, riddled with hundreds of arrows, edged forward like a giant beetle. Elodi knew Uldrak had to be inside.
Lady Harlyn rode into the city with her sword held aloft. The keen blade glinted in the orange light of the rising sun at her back — this had to be a good omen. The archers on the wall cheered, focusing all their shots on the shields, but to little avail. Her knights formed up behind. She had Uldrak trapped. If her defenders could hold the gatehouse, she could cut off the head of this evil army and send them leaderless back over the border.
Elodi bellowed. ‘Now, Misty. Now!’ Sea Mist dashed forward, leading the remaining knights directly at the shields. The well-trained horses knew what to do. They quickly closed the gap, reared up and pounded their hooves down onto the shell, opening the way to the beast’s soft innards. The archers spied the breach and unleashed a volley of a hundred arrows to pierce the wound. Many inside fell. The shell cracked and split wide open.
Uldrak stood exposed; trapped between the inner gate and the Knights of Calerdorn.
Elodi poised to strike. Sea Mist froze. The air chilled, sending a shiver through all in the gatehouse. A dark figure rose from the strewn bodies. He raised his hooded head; a thin, gray sliver of a mouth twisted into a grin. He thrust out his arms. Sea Mist backed away as the air shimmered and closed over Uldrak’s head in the form of a shield. The stunned archers rallied, releasing another volley. But the arrows burst into flame, disintegrating as they struck. Uldrak took a step towards Elodi, waving his arms in a swirling pattern, twisting and distorting the air.
Night returned to Calerdorn. Elodi staggered back. The fighting ceased as all, friend and foe, gawped up at a churning, black cloud descending over the gatehouse. Elodi could only stand and stare as Uldrak raised his hand and circled his gray fingers as if plucking an apple from a tree. His fell voice echoed across the city, bringing despair to all who heard, as he proclamed their inevitable doom. Sea Mist stumbled, determined to hold his ground. But Elodi had no words of comfort. Uldrak’s voice penetrated her armor, her head and her heart. She shrank back in her saddle, suddenly afraid and ashamed as she sought protection from Sea Mist’s neck.
Uldrak reveled in her humiliation, smiling as he pointed to the cloud. Her eyes obeyed. At its center, it bulged, oozing its dark contents like blood seeping through the dressing of a fetid wound. A funnel formed, spinning faster, descending as it sought the ground. The air howled; the horses screamed and reared up. Sea Mist bolted, throwing Elodi from her saddle. She crashed onto the pathway as the funnel struck. Cobbles flew in all directions, taking down many on the parapets.
Silence.
The funnel vanished. Elodi gasped for air as she staggered to her feet. A few paces ahead, gray smoke rose from the damaged cobbles. It billowed to three times her height, folding in on itself to take the shape of a gangly beast. Two moist, black eyes formed and glared straight at her as it unfurled its ragged wings. Dazed, she pitched forward, clutching her stomach, unable to take her eyes from the horror.
A shreek!
An abomination from the old world, a creature from the nightmares of her childhood, slowly stretched out its scrawny limbs, straightened its spine, and loomed over her. It lowered its head. Elodi’s insides turned to water. Her legs buckled as its dark, roiling eyes revealed the full horror of its soul, threatening to trap hers for an eternity.
But Elodi was not ready to accept defeat. Deep within, a fire grew in her belly. She was the leader of this realm; this was her domain. No foul beast would take it from her without a fight. Elodi forced her legs to straighten, pushing back against the great weight bearing down on her shoulders. She took a step and met the glare of the creature, determined not to let its hatred crush her spirit. She raised her sword and leveled the tip at the shreek’s chest. The heat within grew. Her blade glowed brighter in the sun’s early light.
Elodi cried out. ‘Begone, foul beast! Leave my city!’ Its large head tilted, then pulled back. She lunged, thrusting her sword at the creature’s gut. The shreek retreated, its body rippled. She gasped. An illusion.
Elodi drove forward, swinging her sword to slice through the apparition. The air erupted, hurling Elodi against the wall, forcing the air from her lungs. Thankful for her armor, she slumped against the stone, blinded by the light, and left gasping for breath. Elodi blinked hard and regained her sight. The shreek had gone. Her head throbbed and her vision faded, but not before she saw four Ruuk scuttling out of the gate carrying their defeated leader. Elodi let out a long sigh. Her city was safe… for the time being. She lay back her head and surrendered to the fatigue.
41. a Victory Stolen
‘If this is what victory feels like, I would hate to suffer a defeat.’ Elodi stared aghast at the plain scattered with the fallen.
Wendel limped to join her, trying to avoid treading on the dead. ‘A victory all the same. How is your hand, ma’am?’
Elodi wriggled her fingers. ‘The pain is easing. And what of your ankle?’
He winced. ‘Such a foolish thing to do. Didn’t see the stairs.’
She grimaced as the acrid taste of the battle clung stubbornly to the air. Elodi stepped over the charred body of a trebuchet crewman. ‘Is it wrong, Wendel, that I… I enjoyed putting these poor devils to the death?’
Wendel took her hand. ‘No, ma’am. It’s not wrong. Many change in the heat of battle. You did what you had to do.’
She released his hand and spun away. ‘But I’d never felt more alive. For a moment, I didn’t want it to end. That isn’t who I am, Wendel.’ She turned back. ‘Or is it?’
‘I’ve not experienced combat, ma’am, but your father spoke of it. If you’d ridden out to face the foe as your usual caring self, you wouldn’t have lasted five minutes. I don’t think for one moment you’d enjoy killing, away from the field of battle. But mortal combat is another matter entirely.’
Elodi stared with regret at the prone bodies of the horses killed by Uldrak’s spearmen. ‘But last night, we fought like wild animals with little thought of consequences.’
‘Yet this morning you’re feeling guilty. Believe me, ma’am, had we lost the city, these fellow
s would be enjoying putting your unfortunate people to the sword. And it would not be a swift death.’
‘I appreciate your efforts, Wendel. But I for one fear I may have to become a wild animal again before too long.’ She tore her eyes from the horses. ‘And what of the casualties?’
Wendel frowned. ‘Not good, I’m afraid, but let’s face it, the city came to the brink of falling last night, it’s a wonder any survived that onslaught.’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘But on the bright side, we gained those bolt-throwers. They could prove useful if they return.’
‘We’re finished if they return soon.’ She tried unsuccessfully to hold back the tears. ‘Twenty-four, Wendel. Just twenty-four knights returned.’
He rested his hand on her shoulder. ‘But you, Aldorman and his knights saved not only the city, but secured the realm, ma’am.’
‘For now, at least.’ She turned to face the wreck of the main gate. ‘How is Aldorman?’
‘He’s strong, he’ll pull through. But Ruan may take longer.’
Elodi had regained consciousness to find the gatehouse beset by bodies, so badly burned, she could not tell friend from foe. She had stumbled into the city to find Ruan seriously injured by fragments of the inner gate, destroyed by Uldrak’s last desperate act. Elodi turned back to Calerdorn. Smoke still billowed high into the gray morning.
Wendel saw her grief. ‘We can rebuild, ma’am.’
‘And make improvements, and fast. We cannot let this happen again.’
‘The city has stood for a thousand years and I’m sure it will stand for a thousand more. And all thanks to you, ma’am.’