A Whisper After Midnight (38 page)

Argis was hefted onto the wooden “x” and strapped down. His hands hung limply. His body sagged under its own weight. The wood groaned and leaned forward slightly.
Good. That makes it easier for the people to witness what comes next.
Harnin nodded to the head executioner. The bigger Man gave gruff commands and attendants began hoisting the “x” by a series of pulleys and gears. The wooden “x” slowly inclined forward until Argis was suspended over the crowds. Receiving a curt nod from the executioner, Harnin took his place upon the podium erected for the occasion.

“People of Delranan, you are here to witness the execution of a traitor. Lord Argis has disgraced this kingdom through seditious acts and turned you against the crown. Pay heed to his fate, for the same will befall you.”

Several shouted back and threw rocks but the walls were too high. Harnin searched for the Men Jarrik prepositioned in the buildings to the rear of the field. One hundred soldiers hid in full battle armor, ready to strike on the lord of Delranan’s command.

Reacting how he expected, Harnin frowned and turned his back on his people. “Lord Argis, you are charged with sedition against the crown and the willful intent to sow discourse among the people. For this crime there is only one sentence. Death. Have you anything to say for yourself before your head rolls from your shoulders?”

Straining to raise his head, Argis tried to look at Harnin. Instead of anger he felt only sorrow. Harnin had been a good Man before his descent into madness. Perhaps the afterlife would be kind to him, more likely not. Argis then turned his gaze down onto the people he’d sworn to defend and serve. The anguish in their faces wounded him more than anything Harnin’s Men were capable of. He felt their pain and something else. A faint sense of betrayal clouded their faces.
How many have died for our hubris? We ruined this kingdom with our greed and arrogance. You deserved better, but alas such was not your fate. I pray you find the courage to continue and wrest Delranan back from the catastrophe we have left you.

“Have you nothing to say? Nothing at all to calm your soul before the end?” Harnin persisted. He’d expected more. A rant at the very least. A desperate plea to continue the rebellion. Argis’s silence offended him. “Commute the sentence!”

The executioner hefted a massive double-headed axe and took three ponderous steps towards the prisoner. Argis started laughing, much to the disdain of the crowds. Grunting from the strain, the executioner drew back and swung. Argis cried out and went silent. His head dropped down from the wall in a shower of blood. People screamed. Others fled. Most could only stand and stare at what remained of their last hope for victory.

Harnin stayed long after the crowds dispersed and the guards returned to their quarters. He stayed long after the sun set and darkness rose. The One Eye sat and stared at what had been his friend and peer. The corpse stopped bleeding long ago. Congealed blood formed a gruesome necklace. Nerves died. The body stopped twitching.

Harnin sighed. “What have we become, old friend? Delranan shouldn’t be like what we’ve made it. I’m going to miss you.”

Slowly he rose, stretched, and went back inside. He’d seen enough. Pelthit Re materialized from the darkness, watching Harnin leave. Hands folded within his robes, the Dae’shan struggled with sudden doubts. Perhaps he’d chosen wrong in the One Eye. Surely there were better Men to lead Delranan into the thrall of the dark gods. Scowling, he turned his gaze on Argis’s remains and thought.

Battle of Grunmarrow

The Goblin army arrived at dawn and was immediately attacked from the flanks by the combined mounted force of Wolfsreik and Rogscroft defenders. Scores died in those initial moments. Panic threatened to break the massive Goblin column. Sergeants and their cruel whips forced them back into defensive positions and kept the army moving forward. In a move of unanticipated boldness, Badron and Grugnak decided to strike Grunmarrow. The bulk of the Goblin corps in Rogscroft marched on the hidden village.

Fortunately word of their approach reached Grunmarrow first. Nothing so large could move quickly or stealthily without being noticed. Riders flooded into Grunmarrow with reports of the coming doom. Aurec acted quickly, sending the civilians and non-combatants up into the mountains. Battalions of Wolfsreik and Pell Darga hastened into defensive positions before the Goblins could reach the mountains. When the battle began it was on Aurec’s choosing.

The initial attack forced the Goblins towards the waiting spears of the Pell Darga. The stout Pell warriors attacked with zealousness as Rolnir’s cavalry continued to force the flanks closer together. Once massed, Aurec began a devastating catapult barrage. Hundreds of Goblins were slaughtered. Gaps formed in the center of the formation but the Goblins refused to break. Ranks of warriors stopped moving forward and faced outward. Spears were leveled, forcing the cavalry to withdraw.

Thinking they’d stymied the attackers, the front Goblin battalions surged ahead. They died on the Pell’s short spears but continued attacking. Soon the Pell were forced to withdraw, leaving a field of corpses being trampled under the weight of the Goblin army. Aurec ordered the barrage to continue in the hopes of deterring further offense but the Goblins had come to fight. They dug in and formed shield walls to block the Pell and deter Wolfsreik riders.

Mounted archers stormed across the killing field, loosing their darts into the exposed Goblin backs. They only managed to get off a few volleys before the enemy adjusted. Aurec slammed the looking glass shut and snapped off a string of curses that managed to get Sergeant Thorsson’s attention. The latter had the good sense to remain quiet while the newly crowned king vented his frustrations.

“They’ve already brought up shields to block the archers!” he fumed.

Rolnir wiped his eyes with an old rag. “We knew they would. Goblins are professional thugs that know how to fight.”

Aurec shot a furious look to the Wolfsreik general. “We need to break them or they’re going to break us. Should the Goblins win through, all of our women and children will be exposed. I don’t want that slaughter on my hands, Rolnir.”

“There will be no slaughter. We need to intensify the catapult fire, adjusting target areas at random to keep them guessing. Once the center of their formation is unstable I will order a full charge. No army on Malweir can withstand a heavy cavalry charge.”

“They stopped your charge the first time,” General Vajna chimed in. He’d been given command of the infantry for the duration of the combined operation while Rolnir had overall command.

“As we figured on,” Rolnir replied calmly. Working with former enemies was new for him, and he expected certain levels of animosity and discourse, leaving him more than prepared to overcome their differences. “Have the infantry ready to attack as soon as the cavalry breaks into their formation. Attack from the flank while the catapults cover the head of the column. Order a ceasefire once the infantry advances and have the Pell attack again. We’ll break these bastards and send them running back to their mountain holes in the east.”

“I hope for your sake it works, General,” Aurec said flatly. “There is a lot on the line.”

“I’m not in the habit of losing.”

Aurec turned to Thorsson. “Issue the orders. Wipe this filth off of the field.”

Thorsson saluted and hurried off. Time was of the essence if the Goblins were going to be pushed off the field before sundown. The battle had already raged for half the day. Casualties were rising at a rate neither side could sustain for much longer. Aurec found it increasingly difficult to sit and watch the battle unfold. His instincts demanded he take to horse and ride into battle with his soldiers. Being king was vastly different from just a prince. That and not a one on his council was going to let him get anywhere near the front lines.

The bulk of the Goblin force in Rogscroft was in front of him. Should they be defeated, the road back to the city and Badron would be wide open. Aurec stood on the precipice of reclaiming his kingdom and beginning reparations. He had to be sure he defeated the Goblins here, now. Only then would Badron finally be at a severe enough of a disadvantage to drive him back to Delranan or, at the very best, capture him and ransom him back to his own kingdom.

Thoughts of sitting on his father’s throne, his throne, were almost alien. Aurec hadn’t dreamed of seeing his home city again. He almost got carried away with future plans. Rolnir kept him grounded. The Wolfsreik general was a consummate professional, focused solely on the task at hand. His vision of a battlefield was unparalleled, giving Aurec full confidence.

“General Vajna, take the field. I want the infantry formed and ready to attack within the hour,” Rolnir ordered.

Vajna saluted. “Yes, sir.”

“You move on my signal,” Rolnir said. “Piper, you get the honor of leading the charge. Don’t be a hero. Break their lines open wide enough for the infantry to do the real damage. Piper, don’t get yourself killed. I’m going to need you.”

Piper bit his upper lip, grave reservations nearly freezing him in place. His still hadn’t gotten over the mauling his vanguard suffered in the initial engagement of the war. Worse, he was allies with the very same people responsible. Joining King Aurec was the logical and ethical decision but it didn’t take away the sting of knowing they had spent so long trying to kill each other. Piper wasn’t sure if he would ever lower his guard and allow emotion in. The hurt was still much too real.

He stared down at the battle with disinterest. Goblins were among the nastiest races in all of Malweir. Eradicating them was vital, especially here, in order to win back the kingdom and get home again, yet Piper couldn’t find the necessary hatred. They were being used much the same way the Wolfsreik had been used. Badron’s deception went deeper than any of them understood. Piper failed to see how his king had access to an alliance with the Goblin tribes. What else was he holding in reserve?

“Hey, you in there?” Rolnir asked, suddenly concerned.

Piper shook the cobwebs from his head. “Yeah. I’m just trying to think this through. That’s a lot of Goblins.”

“Yes it is, but we can break them. I doubt we’ll get a better chance,” Aurec added.

Rolnir said, “You have the opportunity to be the hero. Break the Goblins and free Rogscroft.”

Piper’s eyebrow arched wickedly. “Heroes usually get killed.”

“Try not to follow suit. Are you ready?” Rolnir asked. Time was up.

“I’ll break them open, you do the rest,” Piper confirmed to Vajna.

The elder general nodded. “Good luck to you, Commander.”

Piper saluted and left for his Men. Aurec watched silently, admiring the man. Only two types of people would march into a desperate situation they didn’t want to: a fool and a brave man. Piper Joach was no fool.

“You are fortunate to have a second like that in your confidence,” Aurec told Rolnir.

The Wolfsreik commander agreed. “If I only had a few more this war would be over already. It’s going to be tough winning the field.”

“They’ll break. All of the engagements we’ve fought against the Goblins thus far follow the same pattern. They fight until there’s no hope of victory and then break and run. Our biggest enemy now is darkness.”

Night was fast approaching. If the alliance didn’t win the field before dark the Goblins would regroup and fight twice as hard. They were infinitely more comfortable in darkness. All the advantages the alliance enjoyed now would be lost. Surviving would prove a struggle.

“General Vajna, can you cover the cavalry with archers? We can’t afford to give them a moment.” Rolnir watched the cavalry reform in the far tree line. Three thousand soldiers tightened straps and checked the weight of their lances. He could already imagine the thunder of hooves rolling across the field.

“I’ll have them begin at once,” Vajna said.

Rolnir and Aurec soon stood alone on the small hilltop. Two anxious commanders with little in common save the preservation of their respective kingdoms. Both flinched as the catapults began firing at a maddening pace.

Piper’s cavalry crashed into the already unsteady Goblin flank like the vengeance of the gods. Shields and bodies flew through the air. Blood rose up in waves. Screams mingled with roars and curses. The catapult batteries began firing projectiles coated with burning pitch. Thousands of infantry advanced under the blanket of smoke and confusion gripping the Goblin army.

What began as a courageous defense devolved into an everyone-for-himself melee. Piper swung and hacked until his muscles threatened to give out. Dark Goblin blood coated his armor, running in sheens down his horse’s neck. He stabbed down, running his sword into a Goblin’s throat and down into the lungs. The immediate battle space clear, Piper was able to look around for the first time. His stomach revolted. An endless sea of bodies covered the ground. He watched one of his Men pulled from his mount and hacked to pieces even as more Goblins were slaughtered around them.

Piper threw up as a Goblin head was ripped from the shoulders and flew across the air. Two horses were killed with horrible screams. The pitch and yaw of battle went back and forth until Vajna’s infantry stormed into the fray in massive phalanxes of steel and hatred. Goblins fell in droves. So too did Men. The cavalry floundered the deeper it pushed, trapping Man and beast. A lone horn wailed over the field.