Haven Keep (Book 1) (63 page)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Halfen army marched through the night, an enormous snake winding through the valley and between the trees.  A black line moving in the moon light, confident nothing could stand against its might.  A powerful force moving ominously toward the city that would become its victim.  The snake seemed immovable in its path, yet something had disturbed the Halfen ranks.  Not only disturbed, but put over one hundred of the invading soldiers to flight, sending others into a confusion that disrupted their march.  Some of the ranks to smashed into those ahead, like a spring snapping back on itself.  Flenn heard the shouts of battle and the now familiar sounds of swords clashing and men dying.  Screams of terror rang out and many Halfen broke formation and ran away from the forest, toward the mountains and their homeland. 

It didn’t make sense.  All the outlying farms and communities in this area were already gathered in, or fleeing from the army.  There was the possibility some men remained out here and banded together to resist the invaders, only that would not have caused the panic Flenn saw.  Men ran madly into the darkness, their fellows calling after them, but they were still too far away for Flenn to make out what they said.

Whatever caused the disturbance, was focused on the weakest part of the Halfen line, just behind the supply wagons and in the midst of the scraggly looking infantry, where the Halfen were the most spread out and marched in the narrowest formation.  If Flenn planned a small attack on the Halfen during the night he would have picked that location as well, which meant whoever did attack them had been watching the Halfen for some time.  He thought of Von and Soren then quickly dismissed the possibility.  Von would need to be further ahead by now to reach Stone Abbey before the clan chiefs began to meet.  Von was adamant about stopping Ky and Flenn did not think he would waste time with the Halfen and delay his arrival to the meeting.

Flenn kicked himself for not sending more men with Von, or at least making him wait.  Ky could be dealt with another day.  Who cared what pretenses the Chiefs would vote on?  It would all be illegal anyway.  Of course not everyone in the north would know that, or believe.  Who knew how many hearts could be swayed just by a vote of the council of clan chiefs?  Maybe Von was right.  Maybe the vote did need to be stopped before any more seeds of betrayal could be sown, yet Flenn still could not help thinking he had made a mistake in allowing Von to go.  Then again, how could he have stopped him?  He wished Von had taken more men with him.  Flenn had seen Soren and Von fight, seen the devastation they unleashed upon the Halfen, but in that instance they were fighting along side another army.  They would be sorely outnumbered now.  What if they were overwhelmed?  He and Soren would probably get themselves killed.

He laughed at himself for entertaining the thought it might possibly be Von and Soren who caused the disturbance in the Halfen ranks.  No matter, whoever had done it was at least fighting on the same side as the Kailfen.  He put the incident out of his mind, knowing he might not ever find out what really happened down there.

Flenn could worry about it later, right now there was an invading army to deal with.  He had been a part of one battle earlier this morning and wished that could have been an end to it, but he found himself now getting ready to join another, and this one promised to be even bloodier than the last.  A battle of great enormity, one the size of which was only heard of in tales and fables.

The Halfen continued to march through the night, coming closer to where Flenn and his men were hidden.  Tostig’s scouts were adamant this was the first time the Halfen did not make camp at night.  They must have wanted to reach Azmark by morning, and at this point the Halfen most likely did not know of the lopsided defeat of their other army.  They would learn soon.  Some of the survivors and stragglers from the battle fought just earlier that day must be making their way back to join the main army.  Either way, the Halfen had no way of knowing the Orlenc, Kragen and Celten were now joined with the Kailfen, and with the addition of the men following Oded and Domnal, the fight was now in Baiden’s favor.

Thinking of Domnal gave him pause.  Flenn still had a hard time believing Von had a brother.  He was still trying to get over the fact Von was the son of Trajan, that Trajan actually had a surviving heir, and not just one heir, two.  Domnal had been fighting the Horde for years while Flenn sat comfortably here in the north.  The thought made him feel a little guilty.  He would make up for it now, starting with the Halfen.

The Halfen would expect to overrun the Kailfen, but instead would find it was themselves who were outnumbered.  Flenn tried to imagine the enormity of the battle that was going to take place.  The Halfen army was reported to be as large as sixteen thousand men.  A force the size of which Flenn had never thought to have seen, but they were spread out now.  They must think with their sheer numbers no one dare attack them, yet what they did not know was that they no longer possessed the superior force.

The Kragen arrived with an army over three thousand men strong and their ships continued to bring more.  They numbered over four thousand now with more arriving on the shores of Kailfen land at that very moment.  Flenn wished there was time for all of them to arrive.  The Orlenc added another three thousand or more as did the Celten, and the surviving Kailfen still numbered well over two thousand men, with more continuing to gather in from the farms and outlying villages.  That brought their numbers to nearly thirteen thousand, more than enough to fight the Halfen, but that was without counting the southern forces.  Their strength of over four thousand battle hardened men meant an army of over seventeen thousand soldiers, possibly approaching eighteen.  It was hard to conceive the clans were able to gather so quickly.  The numbers were staggering to Flenn.  A battle that size would cost too many lives.  Lives that would be wasted because of pride and greed.  Ky’s thirst for power may well still prove the death knell for the north.  How could they ever recover from such a devastating battle?

Flenn took some comfort in knowing Oded and his men were fighting on his side.  Their experience and skill would sway the battle a great distance in their favor.  Oded and Tostig had
planned the ambush that would take place this night.  Others gave their input, but it was Oded and Tostig that formed the main part of the plan.  Everyone saw the logic in it, the simple brilliance.  Their numbers and the help of the southern army were not what would give them the advantage, it was the element of surprise, and the Halfen’s pride in thinking they could not possibly be attacked, that no one would or could stand up to them.  That fact, along with Oded’s and Tostig’s strategy should ensure victory.

Flenn hoped  the casualties would remain low, at least on his side.  Oded assured Baiden if everyone did as they were instructed most should survive.  Oded’s words were not exactly comforting when you were staring down sixteen thousand armed men.

Riders were sent to reach Domnal and his forces to ensure they would participate in their part of the plan.  Scouts returned informing Baiden that Domnal would be where he was wanted.  They would be the wave, crashing against the shore, smashing the Halfen against the rocks that were the armies of the northern most tribes.  Tostig vowed the Halfen would drown in a sea of death.  Flenn hoped it worked out that way.  The alternative was something he did not want to think about.

He turned his attention back to watching the Halfen.  They still had not restored order to their ranks.  The disturbance in the Halfen lines and the confusion that followed made Flenn want to attack now, but he knew he should wait for the signal.  Any straying from what was planned could cause the whole thing to fall apart, so Flenn sat in his saddle in the dark, and waited.  It would all begin soon enough.

He was secreted in the trees with twelve hundred men.  Other men with similar numbers were hidden nearby and others even further away.  With so many men they would not remain hidden for long.  Oded , Tostig and Baiden each commanded a division.  Ulfgar, Riktor, Zor, and Gunnar each commanded a group of Kragen.  The Orlenc were split, with Lowerth, Amas, and Morleo each taking command of a unit.  The Celten fell in with the other groups, adding to their numbers.  Oded was the one who suggested it, and Flenn suspected it was to keep the Kragen loyal.  It was not that there was an actual distrust, and Oded never spoke in any way to indicate there was, but the Kragen were new allies, until recently thought to be enemies.  For this reason Flenn was sure Oded had seen that the Kragen were not left alone.  Flenn hoped no one else saw this or suspected.  He did not want the Kragen to feel insulted.

The Halfen inadvertently  played into their hands with their night time march.  They were too spread out to fight together and their army, especially the western side, was vulnerable to attack from the forest.  That was where the main attack would come from, but not  from Flenn’s men.  Flenn was positioned to meet the Halfen army head on.  Others on the east and on the west of the Halfen would attack from their own hiding places.  Oded hoped to devastate the front portion of the army and cripple the Halfen before they could come together.  The plan just might work, only now the Halfen were getting closer and Flenn was getting anxious, maybe even a bit nervous.  If the Halfen continued in this direction for long, they would march right over the top of
him.  He would be forced to retreat and the plan would be jeopardized.  Oded needed to give the signal and soon.

“Bows out,” Flenn ordered.  The command was given down the line.  He wanted to be ready for Oded’s signal, wanted to easily see the Halfen men approaching in the moonlight.  Too much closer and they would see him as well.

“Come on Oded.  Where are you?” he whispered.  In a few more moments Flenn would be forced to make a decision.  Attack and hope the others did as well or turn and retreat.  His twelve hundred could not stand and fight the Halfen alone.  Maybe he should have picked a place near the flanks instead of right at the head.  If the Halfen charged he would meet the brunt of it.

“Ready,” Flenn ordered.

The command again went down the line.  Twelve hundred men drew their bows.  Flenn realized he had made his decision.  He could not turn and run, if he did the Halfen would have a route of escape.  When the Halfen fled, Oded wanted them to flee back into their own ranks. Flenn needed to hold his ground.

Then he saw it.  A volley of flaming arrows arched across the sky.

“Loose,” Flenn commanded.  This time his voice carried.  There was no need to keep hidden any longer.

The first volley of flaming arrows landed throughout the Halfen ranks, illuminating the archer’s targets.  Moments later arrows rained down from all sides into the front ranks of the Halfen army.

“Again,” Flenn shouted.  “Ready!...Loose!”

Another volley shot into the air.  Twelve thousand men firing twelve thousand arrows into the Halfen army.  Again and again.

It was a slaughter, it made Flenn’s stomach turn, but he forced his men to continue to fire.

The Halfen had no where to run except back into their own ranks.  They broke.  It was what Flenn was supposed to wait for.  Arrows continued to rain down on the Halfen, but not from Flenn’s men.  He unsheathed his sword and his men did the same.  He heard the scraping of leather and steel many times over.  His men had expected this. 

“For Azmark,” Flenn yelled.

His shout was lost in the host of other men’s as his horse charged forward.  His men thundered out of the trees and into the decimated ranks of the Halfen.  He lead the charge shield tight against his body and sword low and forward, ready to defend or strike.  Flenn saw other horse mounted charges pounding towards the confused invaders. They came from all sides, from behind hills and between the trees. A mass of horse, men and steel thundering toward the Halfen from all sides.

Nearly half the Halfen army was already gone, having fallen to a shower of over forty thousand arrows.  The arrows continued to rain down, only now on the rear ranks.  It was the work of Domnal.  His four thousand men shot at the flanks of the Halfen, furthering their confusion and continuing to cut their numbers. The Halfen were beginning to flee when Flenn crashed into them.

Flenn met no resistance and was of a mind to let the Halfen flee.  He had seen enough death this day and did not have a need to see more, but then the invaders turned and fought for their lives.  Some on foot, some on horseback.  Over and over they came at Flenn.  His sword barely deflected a blow, then he struck, but that blow was again deflected.  The man he faced came at him again.  Flenn’s shield fended off the blow.  Flenn continued his charge and the Halfen man disappeared behind him and was replaced by another, this man was slower, less skilled and Flenn caught him on the temple with the pommel of his hilt.  The man went down, but there was no time to see if he rose again to his feet.  Flenn narrowly deflected a swing from an axe aimed at his head.  That man went down from a strike delivered by a Kragen man. Flenn acknowledged the help with a nod and the Kragen man was swallowed  into the fray.  Flenn was forced to confront a new foe.  He charged headlong into the din, losing himself in the barbaric struggle for life.

*                                          *                                          *

After the final arrows flew, Tostig led the charge of his men into the side of the Halfen forces.  He could see Flenn charging into the front of the Halfen and would meet the Halfen at the same time he did.  The confusion caused by the arrows raining down on them out of the dark night sky sent many of the Halfen running.  They ran into the rear ranks and fought amongst themselves, trampling those who fell, trying to push through to safety.  Tostig was disgusted at how undisciplined they were, but it made his job easier.

Morten was at his side,  which he was grateful for.  The man had watched his back at times like these on more than one occasion.