Haven Keep (Book 1) (58 page)

Tents erupted into flames.  The horses screamed and kicked.  With nothing to hold them in place, they bolted into the night.  Some ran into camp, but most galloped toward the forest.  Men came running after them.  Fools.  Did they think the flames came from nowhere, that the horses broke loose on their own?

Tostig and his men waited silently.  Arrows at point blank range would be safer, but they needed to conserve their ammunition for tomorrow.  The Halfen came running into view.  Tostig rose from the forest, a deadly shadow.  Other shadows rose with him.  The Halfen men fell silently.  Tostig wiped his dirk on his victim’s tunic.  He never had a chance.

Tostig and his men mounted and left, disappearing as quietly as they had come.  Tostig led his three new horses stealthily through the trees.  He never enjoyed killing, but it had become a part of him.  The Halfen had brought it on themselves, and if tonight was any indication of how well they would fight on the morrow, many of them would not live to see another day.

Tostig followed a long winding route through the forest.  He did not think they were followed, but didn’t want to take risks.  The terrain was mostly flat, not like the mountains, and they moved quickly.

So far there was no sign they were being followed.  The Halfen probably thought the men who ran headlong into the forest were taking care of it.  Their companions would find them in the morning.

When Tostig was satisfied they were not followed he spoke to Morten.  “Take the men back to meet Kole.”

Morten did not acknowledge.  There was no need to.  This was planned previously and the less talking the better.  The night might still have ears.

Tostig broke off from Morten and headed in the opposite direction.  Flenn would want to hear how things turned out.  Tostig did not do too much damage this night, but enough to keep the Halfen worried.    With the loss of the horses the Halfen would have twenty or thirty less calvary tomorrow.  Not a large amount when you considered there were over four thousand of them, but Tostig learned long ago to appreciate the value of small victories.

For the first time in years he felt nervous as he rode through the forest alone.  He remembered tracking the vyr through this forest, before he even knew what kind of beast it was.  That thing had taken livestock from the fields near by, then a little boy.  That was what sent Kaiden out hunting the vyr.

What would have turned out different if that never happened?
He certainly never would have met Kaiden and he never would have been here.  Who knew what advantages the Halfen would have gained?

He couldn’t help but think there was something greater at work here. Something stirred in the Iron Mountains.   Something ancient, come again.  His storm dreams told him as much.  Something evil and menacing, but something else too, something hidden that was not yet manifest.  He worried over it.  Worried their time might be coming to an end, just as the times of the Dragon Lords eventually came to an end. He wondered if his father felt the same way, or if his father even dreamed similar dreams. Dreams that warned of change to come.  He still could not tell if those changes would be good.

Something else came from him tracking the vyr out of the mountains.  While he was down here, against the wishes of his father, he managed to sneak inside the walls of Azmark.  Something pulled at him, drew him to the center of these settlements.  Something akin to the magic of the storm dreams, only different.  And what he found surprised him.  A youth working in a forge.  One that resembled a man he and his father served a long time ago.  He watched the youth work from the window of the forge.  As the youth pounded at his work a magic resonated from the blows, like the rhythm of a battle hymn.  As he watched he found himself thinking more and more of the emperor.  This had to be his son.  He looked so much like his father and his older brother.  He thought it must be Beovon.  Now he knew it was.  He hoped Beovon was safe, and Kaiden as well.  They were both key to victory.  Not just victory over the Halfen.  This was something else his dreams told him.

These thoughts raced through his head as he rode through the forest.  He watched the trees, scanning for signs of ambush or attack.  None came.  He was letting his imagination get to him.  He needed to keep his wits about him.  At least the wind was not blowing.

Flenn and his men were where they were supposed to be.  Tostig rode slower as he approached, not wanting to alarm anyone.  Flenn’s men kept an only slightly better watch than the Halfen.  Tostig was almost upon them before they saw him.  At least most of them were hidden in the trees and brush, making it difficult to tell their numbers.  They would sleep cold tonight, but it was necessary.  Tomorrow they would find out how well they could fight and if Flenn’s plan was going to work.

Suddenly Tostig was surrounded by seven men.  Each with a bow raised and drawn, pointed uncomfortably in his direction.  Maybe these Kailfen would do better than he expected.  One of the men recognized him and lowered his bow.  The others did the same moments after.

The man spoke to him in a low voice.  “It looks like the raid went well.”  He gestured to the horses trailing behind Tostig.  “This way,” the man said, leading the way through the trees. “Flenn won’t admit it, but he has been anxious for your return.”

Tostig dismounted and followed.  The man never gave a name.  Maybe it was better that way.  Who knew how many of these men would die tomorrow?  If all went well not many, but who could say which direction a battle would turn after it began. The less names he knew the better.  There would always be time afterwards to get to know the survivors.

Tostig only saw two or three other men, which meant the others were hiding well.  Not an easy thing to do with only scattered trees and brush in which to conceal fifty men.  As Tostig followed the man, he realized how dangerous his escort was.  Tostig grew up around fighting men and knew when he saw one.   This man may have been a farmer, a woodcutter or something entirely different, but the grace with which he moved and the way he carried his sword at one hip and his small hand ax on the other were things Tostig learned to look for.  The Halfen were said to be criminals, plunderers and bullies who lived off what they could cheat, steal and pillage from the city states to the south, or any other easy target.  Their other source of income were the slaves who worked the mines.  Many said they were soft compared to the other clans, especially the four northern clans, though they were more numerous.  Tostig did not believed those rumors until tonight.  He’d seen enough evidence in the last few hours to convince him it was true. 

Flenn noticed them approaching and rose quickly from the rock he was seated on, wrapped in his cloak.  He scrambled down to meet Tostig.   Obviously he was anxious to hear about tonight’s events.

“All is well, I hope?” he asked.

“Yes,” Tostig replied.   “It was almost too easy.  I only hope tomorrow goes as well.”

“With luck it will.”

Now they waited.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The predawn hours remained dark. The moon had disappeared below the horizon long since leaving only the light of the approaching sun, which still had not made its appearance over the tops of the Iron Mountains.  Flenn welcomed the coming of the sun and the warmth it would bring, but not necessarily the events that would follow.  The sun would soon burn off the fog that spread over the forest and surrounding hills.  The fog had been good cover, but soon they would abandon it.  He and the fifty men he led had been on the move for nearly an hour.  They needed to arrive at the designated area just at the right time.  Any earlier and they may be discovered.  Any later and the plan might not come off as he wanted it to.

Too many of the younger men were still overly excited.  He understood.  A few short years ago he would have probably behaved the same way.

They rode as quietly as they could, away from the Halfen encampment. They would assemble further up the Well Road, aptly named for the well at the end of it.  They were almost to the well now.  It was just over two leagues from Azmark.  They were far enough from the Halfen now that they could risk leaving the forest.  Still he kept his men within the trees, paralleling the road, just in case.

A rider galloped towards him. This wasn’t the first messenger Kole had sent him this morning.  He recognized the young boy, but did not know his name.  He couldn’t have been older than thirteen or fourteen winters.

He reigned in beside Flenn and spoke.  “The Halfen are active.  It looks like they are going to assault Azmark again.”

Flenn couldn’t keep himself from smiling.  That was the news he wanted to hear.  Why they were doing it he did not know.  He thought about many of the possibilities before.  Finding out the defenses, locating weaknesses, possibly trying to weaken the defenses for the final larger assault, or even making Baiden think there was no way to break free and escape to safety.  That latter seemed to be the most reasonable.  Baiden was a large prize for the Halfen.  If they could capture or kill him, it would be a great blow to the Kailfen and maybe even pave the way for Ky to be named Lord of the North.  Whatever their reasons, they played right into his hands.

“Good, you have done well,” Flenn told the boy.

He grinned at Flenn, happy to receive the praise.

“You may join with us or return to Kole, whatever you wish.  Just don’t get caught.”

“I’ll remain with you if you don’t mind,” he said, still grinning.  “I wouldn’t want to arrive late and miss all the fun.”

Flenn shook his head. 
“Fun,”
he thought.  He could think of hundreds of things he would rather be doing right about now.  All of them quite a bit more fun than this was.  “That’s fine.  We could use an extra bow.”

The boy smiled as if he was anticipating mid summer solstice.  Flenn hoped there was still
a reason to grin after today.  He wasn’t sure if that thought was for himself or for the boy.

Flenn could see the men ahead gathering near the old well.  Why someone bothered to dig a well at that location so many long years ago he had no idea.  He was sure no one else did either.  Maybe there was a small settlement here at one time.

The well still had its uses.  Travelers and hunters often used this spot as a way point on their way to and from Azmark.  Shepherds often used it too.  Flenn had fond memories of the times he stopped there with friends or his father.

He wished his father was here now.  A fever took him at a young age, leaving Flenn to fend for himself.  He had done quite well.  Many said he possessed his father’s strength.  Wishing his father were here now so he could rely on that strength did no good.  At least he wasn’t alone.  Oded and Tostig were here, and Berkler too.  They would be enough.  They would have to be.

Flenn rode out of the trees onto the Well Road.  There were still a few paving stones here and there, but this far from Azmark the road was mostly dirt and mud.  Not much of a road really.  He plodded along on his horse, no need for haste yet.  Men followed behind him like a long shadow, men just like those ahead, gathering around the well.  Artisans and farmers, tradesmen and herdsmen, thatchers and more than just a few blacksmiths.  Flenn would be surprised if most of the men, if not all of them, did not know at least something of that last trade.

The well was chosen as the gathering place for two reasons.   They could do so in relative ease without being seen from Azmark and they could travel quickly along the road once they put the plan into motion.

By gathering here he was sure the Halfen would soon learn of them, but that could not be helped.  He was sure the Halfen had left at least some of their men in the woods as scouts.  Flenn was no longer safe from detection, and word would reach the Halfen soon.  Hopefully not so soon as to ruin the surprise.

Flenn arrived at the well and sought out the leaders of the other groups.  Oded called them divisions.  The divisions, he might as well call them that, were assembling around the well.  Most were already here, each led by able bodied, capable men.  They greeted Flenn informally.  There was Blane with his dark eyes and red hair that was well on its way to gray. Fideon, who was taller than Flenn remembered.  Jebb, quiet and reserved, but if any thought him weak they were mistaken.  Jebb’s oldest son Regnar who was much like his father in personality and looks. Clode, who resembled the enormous battle ax he carried.   Vidowen, a man as broad as an ax handle with muscles from years of swinging a hammer at the forge.  Agren, the dark haired stone cutter.  Toel, a fair haired man nearly as wiry as Soren and some said just as dangerous.  Lamner, a man as old as the hills, but still with enough mead and vinegar to do for two men.   Rasten and Glegg  Flenn could see coming from the east, riding in front of their men.  They were only missing Petran and moments later Flenn saw him coming into view, riding out of the trees to the south.

All these men rode horses.  Those on foot were with Kole.  Flenn needed to move with speed in order to surprise the Halfen and even more speed if they needed to run.  Flenn hoped it did not come to that.

Rasten, Glegg, and Petran quickly maneuvered into position.  Everything was coming together.  Flenn felt like he should say something, but had no idea what.  He gave up worrying about it.  Everyone knew why they were here and what was expected of them.  They didn’t need any flowery speeches.   There was only one thing they were waiting for and here it came.  Hal, galloping for all he was worth, up the Well Road.  He stopped short of Flenn and made some sort of salute with is fist to his chest.  Flenn hoped that didn’t catch on.

“The Halfen are pressing the walls again,”  Hal said in a breathless voice.  “A little harder than before  I think.”

Flenn nodded.  This was what he wanted.  Why did he suddenly feel so sick to his stomach?  Flenn raised his right hand then brought it down quickly and shouted.

“We ride!”