Death Or Fortune (59 page)

     All of us
were outside, gathered around the body of our fallen friend. Bryce told us how
they found him and about the Orc they found near his body.  Ebbit had a
single wound on his body, it wasn't deep but it cut just enough to open up his
jugular.  He bled to death from a single lucky strike. The Orc who did him
in was hacked to bits and its ears were chewed off.  The strangest thing
about it all was Mason who refused to leave the rangers side.  Kandella
offered to try to have the dwarf restored to life.
'While I may not have the
power, the god may hear our prayers.'
In the end it was Windfall who made
the decision.
'Ebbit did not want to be brought back to life should he ever
fall. He said to return his body to the earth where it belonged.  He will
be welcomed into the halls of his ancestors with open arms and begin his battle
anew in the afterlife.
' No one would argue with him, none of us wanted to.
The look on his face was enough of a warning.  Ebbit was more than just
someone he adventured with, Ebbit was like family to the half-elf.  We dug
Ebbit a grave right there alongside of the past Clerics of Solarth and laid him
to his final rest.

     If the Orc
army was following its orders and doing as they were trained, we had less than
a day before they would be marching on the tower.  I looked up at the
tower to see the Flame of Hope was burning strong that morning.  I looked
at Pare and figured I better give him something to do before his depression
over losing another friend set in.  I reached into my pack and pulled out
the spy glass that I had on loan from Lomark.  As I handed it to him I
asked him if he thought he could climb up the tower to take a look to the
north.
'Really?
' he said to me as he looked up at the tower.
'I
started to climb up there last night but figured you might get mad at me. But
if you want me to go up, I will be happy to
.' I then asked him when he had
done that.
'Oh, right after you went to sleep last night.  I was still
a little hungry and then I found the ladder that goes up to the steps. I went
about half way up before I stopped. I didn't want to get cooked by the flame.'
I shook my head at the halfling but I should have known better than to think he
slept all night long. I started to wonder if I should check his pack for items
that shouldn't be there.  I figured I would let him slide but remind him
who owns the items in that temple before we leave.  I told Pare he didn't
have to go all the way up and that I just wanted him to watch to the north for
a little while. He gave me a big smile as he ran off.
     With Pare out of the way I gathered all the men
together.  I told them I was going to give them eight hours, they were to
find their selves something to eat. Then they were to get as much rest as
possible.  At sun down we were going to march.  I asked Kandella to
show the Dead Squad in and to show them were to find all the food.  As
everyone filed into the temple, Bryce stood there looking at me. He waited
until everyone else was inside to speak.
'Well, we are another man down and
we sent away some of the best archers I have ever seen. What is the plan?'
I told him from all that we learned, when the call went out the Orcs would
leave a very small contingent of guards at the slave camps. We were going to
avoid the main army, hit the slave camp closest the ship yard. From there we
would split up, he and the Dead Squad would then hit the ship yard. Then we
march around the army to the Othos city and free the remainder of the slaves
there. Windfall and Michaels would go with me and the Othos slaves while I
would send Pare with him.
'You really think that halfling will follow me?'
I told him to let me worry about the halfling.
'How long?
' he then asked
me. I asked him what he meant?
'How long till we assume you and the others
are dead.  I would hate to leave you behind but to be honest, I have had
quite enough of this place.'
     I thought about it and told him he was to find a ship,
anchor off shore.  If he saw the Orcs marching on the ship yard he was to
lift anchor and set sail.  If he did not see us in three weeks, he was to
leave without us.  Bryce looked at me and just shook his head.
'Yer a
crazy son of a bitch Kromwell.  I knew it from the start but I didn't know
how crazy you were. You pull this off and they just might make you king after
Roderick is gone. You have already won a battle with the odds against you, no
one is that lucky twice.
' His voice was getting heated so I just stood
there and let him go on. When he stopped I looked him in the eye and asked him
if he had anything else to say.
'Yea, you don't have to do this. We got who
we came for, we can go steal a ship and get the hell out of here
.' I moved
down the steps of the temple so I was on even ground with him. I asked him what
then?
'We go home, that is what!'
he was growing furious.  I just
shook my head.  I told him that we would only be passing the problem on to
someone else.  Argon wasn't dead.  If he found his army waiting here
for him, he would start all over again.  It might be year or even two
years from now but they would show up.  Even stronger than they were right
then and there.  All the while the people of Va'Nox would continue to
suffer under an iron fist.
     'Lord Kromwell, Captain, what in the hell ever it
is that I am supposed to call you. Might I remind you that this is not our
problem.  We have Kandella, all we have to do is hit the ship yard and
sail away.
' I put my hand on his shoulder and asked him if we should wait
to deal with them until they are marching on the capital of Arcadia, when our
only ally to the south has been destroyed.  When the Orc army is three or
four times stronger than it was that day.  I saw something in the eye of
Bryce, desperation.  For the first time since I had met him the man was
scared.  I told him what I saw, he tried to deny it but I asked him point
blank, what it was that bothered him so?  
'I've seen some strange
things on the field of battle but this?  I saw the wound on Ebbit's neck,
it shouldn't have killed him.  It wasn't that deep.  Had he just
packed the wound with something he would have still been alive when we got to
him.  I just don't understand what in the hell is going on here. It is
like everything is going wrong and I am the only one who can see it.'
 I walked away from Bryce, told him to follow me a bit.  As the full
body of the tower came into view I looked up the tower and saw the halfling.
 I pointed up and told Bryce to go tell him that.

     Bryce got
real quiet after that.  All of us felt the loss of Miri, while Pare felt
it more than anyone.  It had an effect on all of us.  He stood there
looking up at the tower where Pare was perched on one of the steps, laying
down, watching to the north.
'I'm sorry sir. I guess I just miss my wife. It
has been too long ya know and I am ready to go home.'
I just smiled at him
and told him we were all ready to go home.  That is when I told him that I
was having a child.  If I had anything to say about it, we were all going
to get home.
'Tell me one thing then. Tell me you are not doing this for the
glory of it all, to improve your position to take the crown when it is time. I
understand you telling me this has to be done because no one else will do it
but tell me this isn't about you stepping forward towards the throne.'
I
told him that was the furthest thing from my mind.  At one time all I
cared about was how many coins I could call my own and shouting out battle
cries as I charged headlong into danger.  I know now that there are things
that are more important.  Coins cannot buy you friends or let you feel
love.  A good friend of mine asked me to do him a favor and only death
would stop me from doing that for him.  That is why I was there, it was
the only reason I was there.
     'So what now?
' he asked me. I told him that for
now, he should get himself something to eat and get a good sleep in before I
was kicking his bunk.
'You kick my bunk and you are going to get an arrow in
the leg. Then again, that might kill you so I better hold off on that.'
I
could only raise an eyebrow at him as he walked away laughing to himself.
 I wasn't sure if I trusted his laughter or not.  I told myself that
I needed to keep an eye on him, make sure he wasn't going to lose it.
 Looking back he held it together till the very end.  I even came to
accept his strange sense of humor.  Before I walked in I looked up one
last time at Pare, only now he was looking down at me.  He was waving his
little arms back and forth.  When I waved back I waited for the signal.
 First he pointed to his eyes, telling me he saw something.  He then
tried holding up his fingers to show me how many but I couldn't make it out.
 I told him just to come on down.  I watched in horror as he flew
down the steps as if he had been going up and down them his entire life.
 He ran through the temple shouting that he had seen one Orc riding
towards us. When he came bursting out the front door of the temple, everyone came
with him. 
'One Orc, riding fast. He will be here soon.
' I looked
at all of them, looking at me. Waiting for me to command them to do something.

  
   Looking back, it was nice not having to argue about what I
had to say for a change.  I told Michaels to come with me and for everyone
else to get back inside.  Pare was to go back up on the tower to keep
watch.  He was gone again before I got the word tower out of my mouth.
Michaels and I took the horses that we had ridden before.  I wasn't sure
why I asked him to come with me, even today I don't know why.  I didn't
even mind when he pulled out his banner, in my mind it seemed like the right
thing to do.  I still don't know what in the nine hells I was thinking. We
rode out as fast as we could, his banner streaming out behind him.  I
spared a moment to look down into the rift between the island halves.
 More than a hundred feet down to the water below, enough to kill a man
for sure.  Once we crossed over the bridge we could see the approaching
rider. He looked to have light armor and a bow of some kind in his hand.
 He must have been a scout for the advancing army. As he saw us he stood
up in his saddle to get a better look, just before he fired an arrow at me.
     I watched as it flew past, I was in no danger of being
hit but I still put my head down and dug in to the flanks of the horse.  I
drew my blade and charged at the Orc as fast as the horse would carry me.
 The creature came to a quick stop and tried to turn around to run.
 While the horse was more than able to make the turn, the Orc could not
stay mounted.  The beast turned under him and he went falling to the
ground.  Michaels and I were on him before he could get back to his feet.
 He thought to put up a fight, holding up his short bow, letting out a
roar.  I lashed out with my blade, cutting the weapon in two just above
his hand.  He laid there looking back and forth between the two of us,
waiting for the killing blow.  The killing blow that never came.  I
asked the creature if he spoke common.  I could hear Michaels praying to
his god, so soft were his words that it could have just been the wind blowing
across the plain.  When the command word came, '
obey
' I knew what
would come next.  The Orcs eyes glassed over and he looked like a dog
waiting for his treat.
'Stand up and speak
!' he told the creature.
     'I talk.
' was all it said as it stood up. What
happened next was not part of the plan. Yet I stood back and said nothing.
 Not once did I interrupt him. To this day, I don’t know why.
 Michaels held his weapon in front of him, holding it in both hands in
front of his chest as he spoke.
'Return to your army. Tell your chieftain
that it is over.  Return to your homeland and leave in peace now.
 Refuse and face the wrath of the god Solarth.  You have invaded this
land and enslaved his people.  This is your only chance.  Go, tell
your people now.  Leave the island in peace now or die.'
I watched as
the Orc turned and ran from us back to his mount.  I seem to remember
having to force my mouth to close.  I looked at my friend and asked him
what that was all about.  
'Darmot, I have to give them a chance to
leave. While justice demands they pay for the crimes they have done here, I
will give them this once chance.  One chance to show that they were just enthralled
by an evil man.
'  I watched as he returned to his mount and asked him
what if they don't leave?  
'Then my friend, they will answer to the
good god for all that they have done.  I will see to that.'
 He
started to ride away before I even got back on my horse.

     As the sun
started to set in the western sky, Pare came down from the tower.  He told
me that he couldn't see anything as of yet but we could hear them.  The
horns of war were blowing to the north.  They were faint, it almost
sounded like the buzzing of a fly.  I had everyone up and ready to march
out by the time it was dark outside.  Before leaving we gathered everyone
together for one last meeting in the kitchen of the temple.  It was the
largest room we could use. We could have gone into the main temple but
something about discussing war in there didn't seem right to me. Using the maps
Argon had made we discussed our plans.  I wanted everyone to understand
what it was that we were doing.  Should any one of us fall, the others
would have to carry on the mission.  That ship yard had to burn.  We
had to keep that army from launching at all cost, even if it meant we all had
to die.
     I took the time to answer all of their questions.
 Looking back, it seemed odd to me that Michaels was the only one without
questions.  On the other hand, Bryce had not stopped until we were well on
our way.  I sent Michaels and the Dead Squad to the west bridge and the
rest of us took the one on the east. Using the lantern oil that Michaels had
collected we coated as much of the two bridges as we could.  I was
standing there on the north side of the bridge, a torch in my hand all the
while Bryce kept on with the questions.
'What about Kandella, you have not
brought her up in any of your plans? She isn't even a real cleric, she is a
scribe. What am I supposed to do with her while we are trying to torch the ship
yard
?'  I looked at the man, who I had grown to like and respect.
 I could see the other bridge was already burning out of the corner of my
eye.  I said his name while holding up the torch.
'What?
' he said
to me while holding his hands up.  I pointed down at his feet, telling him
that he was still on the bridge.
'So? I am trying to make a point here.
'
 I shook my head and tossed my torch in the middle of the bridge.
 Bryce walked off the bridge just before the flames reached his feet.
     I told Bryce and Windfall to scout ahead of us, if for
no other reason than he couldn't keep battering me with questions.  I told
them we would be five minutes behind them as they set off.  It wasn't
until they left that I noticed that Mason was still with us.  As Windfall
and Bryce took off running he was right behind them.  The last time I had
seen him he was at Ebbit's grave, from what Windfall told me, the bond was
broken with death.  He should have tried to return to the wild.  When
we stopped for our first rest that night we talked about it. Windfall told me
'He
might just be trying to follow his final orders. Ebbit did tell him to stay
with you. Ebbit is gone though, he shouldn't be following that order. Then
again, the wolf is smart enough to know that he isn't anywhere close to home. I
wouldn't worry about it. We have larger issues to deal with.
'  Such as
an entire army of Orcs marching in mass towards the temple.  Where we just
torched the only way to cross over to the south side of the island.
     We made good time that night, only stopping every
couple of hours for water.  Kandella did very well for herself.  I
wasn't sure she would be able to handle the vast amount of running and walking
we were going to do.  She walked with Pare and I in the rear of the line.
 It gave the halfling someone else to talk to.  She asked him about
Hans from time to time, Pare thinking himself an expert of the subject was glad
to fill her in.  It would seem my friend had developed an air of mystery
around him at the temple and she wanted to know everything about him.  The
more I listened to her talk, the more I started to wonder if she had developed
feelings for my friend.  I even asked her why she wanted to know so much.
 She told me
'This is history in the making and someone has to write a
chronicle of the events and of those who take part.  I was in that temple
for a short time and know very little of the Bishop.  No one I had met
before now knows much about him other than Michaels up there and he won't talk.
 He told me it isn't polite to talk about someone when they are not there,
damn paladins
.'  I smiled at her use of language and told her that she
might be asking all the wrong people.
'What do you mean?
' she asked. I
smiled and told her that he was made Bishop for a reason, she should look into
why.  That was assuming we ever got home.
     By the time the sun started to come up, we were more
than half way to the slave camp. We were so worried about putting distance
between us and the orc army we didn't think about the fact that it would be
daylight when we reached the slave pens. The first break we took in full light,
everyone except for Pare and Windfall were beyond exhausted.  It wouldn't
do me any good to push the men to get there if I killed them along the way.
 I told them all to eat and sleep if they could as we had a long way to go
still.  I thought about stripping off my armor but couldn't risk it should
anyone happen to see us.  Which at that point was still very possible.
 We were moving fast but didn't do much to cover our tracks.  Any
scout worth his weight in copper could have tracked us with ease.  Not
that I was too worried about that.  The horns we had heard in the distance
the night before were gone.  I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or
bad.  I'd thought perhaps the message that Michaels had given to that Orc
scout had made an impact.  At the time, I figured one of two things were
happening.  They were sitting around talking about how to get off the
island as fast as possible or they were laughing at the so called threat.

     
While I remember laying back in the tall grass, looking up at the sky.  I
do not remember closing my eyes. The dream I had that afternoon was one I have
had several times before and since.  I am old and gray, walking down a
street in Arcadia with Jasmin and our children.  At least I assume that is
who they were. Gone is my armor and other trinkets, hanging by my side is the
Nameless Blade, made by Boris Sparkcatcher.  I still wear the strength
belt, I can feel it when I twist and turn.  The simple fact is that I am
afraid that if I ever take it off, I wouldn't be able to walk.  My old
injuries are just too much for my old body to take.  The sun is bright,
not a cloud in the sky, it feels like the perfect day.  Just when I start
to think the dream will be different, the screaming starts and the shadow
passes over head.  The ancient red beast lands in the street, its wings shatter
windows for several blocks.  The red dragon has teeth that have started to
turn yellow with age but make no mistake, they are still razor sharp.
'YOU
KILLED MY MATE, YOU KILLED MY CHILDREN
!'  It makes me watch, helpless
as it eats everyone I have ever loved. Leaving me alone to my dying day.
 I see locks of Jasmin's hair hanging from the jaws of the creature as it
bends its face down to taunt me.
'Death is too good for you.
'  That
is when I always wake up.  The image of seeing her hair hanging out of the
mouth of the beast is too much for me to take.
     I sat up in a cold sweat, ripping off my helm I can
feel it running down my back in waves.  I looked around and saw Pare
watching me.  His eyes were squinted up and his head was tilted just to
the side.
'Do you always talk in your sleep?
' he asked me.  I was
irritated and told him I didn't know as I was sleeping.
'You just kept
saying, not her. Don't hurt her, not Jasmin.'
He had one of his daggers in
his hand, flipping it over in the air and catching by the handle. '
Who are
you talking to, who hurt Jasmin?'
I took a moment to get up to my knees, I
took a quick look around the make shift camp. The only person up and moving
around was Jordan.  I figured it was his turn to keep watch.  I told
Pare that it was just a dream, when I told him what had happened he gave me
that same squinted up look again.  He asked me,
'Where was I at?'
When I told him he wasn't in the dream he let out a sigh of relief.
'Oh,
well then we don't have to worry about that then. We are going to be together
forever. Yer right, it was just a silly dream.'
He had a smile on his face
like I had just given him his favorite snack in the whole world.  When
people ask why I keep him around, it is days like this that come to mind.
 When you are facing the impossible, you want someone like Pare in your
life.
     After a quick meal of trail rations, I went to find
Windfall and Bryce.  Telling them that we would do the same thing as the
night before and that as soon as they even thought they were close to the slave
camp to stop and wait for us.  After they took off I saw Mason sitting
there, watching me again.  I told him to go on and off he went.  I
gave the men more breaks than they needed, I wanted them fresh by the time we hit
the slave camp.  As the night passed we left behind the plains and once
again entered forest.  About an hour after we hit the tree line I saw
Windfall and Bryce coming back towards us, Bryce was visibly upset. I asked
them what was wrong and he just pointed to Windfall and told him to tell us.
'We
were about an hour ahead of you. Not too far from here the forest has been cut
clean. As far as you can see there is nothing but tree stumps. Then we saw the
camp, it is massive. There must be close to four hundred slaves in there just
from the size of the containment area.  Massive black stone walls, they
look like they were shaped right out of the earth. Close to fifteen feet tall
and thick as my arm is long. Between the ones on the ground outside and the
ones walking on the top of the walls, we counted close to twenty Orcs still
there. To top it all off, the whole place smells like death.  I can't see
the slaves in there being in any kind of condition to fight.
'
     I sat there and thought about it for just a moment, no
one spoke.  It was rather odd all things considered.  If they really
had that many slaves packed in there, it wasn't going to smell pretty.  I
shook my head and told them all we would deal with that when it came time. We
had to get moving or it would all be for nothing.  We had to give them a
fighting chance.  I told Windfall to lead the way as I wanted to get a
good look at the camp. When we hit the area that had been clear cut I called
for them to stop.  All we could see were the stumps of trees that had been
cut down for the ship building.  I started to think about how to proceed
when I remembered our guest Kandella.  I couldn't afford to have her get
lost or captured during the attack on the slave camp.  I asked for one man
to volunteer to stay behind with her, away from the battle.  When no one
stepped forward I told West that he was the man.  He was to keep her a
safe distance away from the camp and if anything went wrong, they were to run
and hide.  While he didn't like it, he followed orders.
     When we came into view of the camp, I was almost
impressed.  The walls were glossy and black.  It had to be the
largest deposit of obsidian in the entire world.  The glossy walls also
served another function.  As Myrrdin came out from behind the clouds in
the sky, the walls reflected its light for several feet. Getting close to the
walls on a clear night would be difficult at best.  I learned later that
the building was hundreds of years old.  The Othos magic users would take
students there to teach them the craft.  It had been abandoned once the
different tribes banded together to live in one large city.  Everything
they did was as one people, one tribe, united.  I sometimes wonder if the
building is still there today, it went from being a place of wonder and magic
to a monument to torture.  After I took the spy glass back from Pare, I
watched the guards walk the walls.  No towers, just a narrow walk way on
the top of the wall. There were ten Orcs in total up on the walls, walking back
and forth the whole time.  The rest who remained to guard the slaves were
in tents on the south side of the holding area.  From where we were at, I
could only see one way into the holding area.
     I knew we had to hit them fast and hard. I told
Michaels to take five of the Dead Squad to the far side of the slave camp, they
would strike at the Orcs on the north and west walls.  Myself and the last
four members of the Dead Squad would hit the east and south walls. Windfall,
Bryce and Pare would hit the tents.  I told them all we would strike in
one hour, after that it was just a waiting game, we had to give Michaels time
to make it to the other side of the camp without being seen.  I looked
down at Pare and told him good luck as he was leaving with the others.  He
just smiled at me and said,
'It's too bad Hetaron isn't here, we could have
used his flying carpet to attack them from the sky.'
I smiled back at him
but in truth, what he said hurt.  It had been a long time since I had
thought of the wizard.  I thought of him as a friend, he just saw me as a
tool to advance in both power and wealth.  I know when it is time for me
to cross to the other side I will be put to the question for the roll I took in
his death.  I can only hope that the gods show mercy on me for that.
     As both groups departed, I started to keep count in my
head.  At the same time, I prayed that the clouds would continue to keep
the Eye of Myrrdin hidden.  We could not afford to have anyone be seen
before we attacked.  I continued to watch the walls through the spy glass
while I counted.  The Orcs on the wall were sloppy but they never stopped
moving.  As I was about to signal my men to get moving I noticed Mason
sitting by my leg, watching me.  I just shook my head and told him to go
back to Kandella, to keep her safe.  I thought for a moment that the wolf
nodded his head at me before it took off running.  When Wayne spoke, it
took me by surprise.
'That thing is creepy
.' I gave him a small quiet
laugh in agreement and gave everyone the signal to move.  As we moved
towards the wall, I picked out my target.  I knew I would only have one
shot, one I could not afford to miss.  If I missed, I very well could kill
more than one of the slaves inside of the compound.  Just as the count in
my head hit one hour, I pulled back and took aim. When the screaming started, I
let the arrow fly.