Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six (24 page)

James is surprised at the lack of response
from the Empire. He thought there should have been something by
now. The only thing he can figure is that the word has yet to reach
local officials. Those who they’ve left alive have been on the
fringe of the Empire and communications in this world being as they
are, it may take awhile before they get word to the powers that
be.

On the fifth day as they approach where the
old border used to be between Madoc and the Empire, patrols and
troops become more frequent. Still they continue as they have,
either taking out the enemy should the force prove small, evading
it should it prove large. Anything they come across from this point
on, if it can be used by the Empire in the war effort, gets
destroyed.

During the midafternoon of the fifth day
while using his mirror to find enemy patrols, James discovers a
fortress to the southwest sitting along the main road running north
and south.

“That has to be Al-Ziron,” Illan explains
when he informs him what he found. “It’s been guarding the Empire’s
border for centuries.”

“I take it that it will have a sizable
garrison?” asks James.

“Perhaps,” he replies. “With this no longer
being the border, they may not feel it requires many men.” After
riding a few more moments in silence, he asks “Do you plan to take
it?”

Shaking his head, James replies, “No. It
would be too risky. Let Madoc’s soldiers take on the enemy, we’re
primarily interested in the country’s infrastructure and its war
industry.”

“Then I suggest we skirt more to the east to
avoid any possible patrols which may be in the area,” offers
Illan.

“Good idea,” he replies.

Later that day when he again checks his
mirror for enemies in the surrounding countryside, he spies what
looks to be a long supply caravan escorted by several hundred
soldiers heading eastward. When he informs Illan, Illan says, “Most
likely heading toward the army fighting with the Kirken Federation.
How far away are they?”

“A couple miles,” James tells him.

“One last fight before nightfall?” Illan
asks.

“We do have numbers and the element of
surprise on our side,” replies James.

“I concur,” he agrees then hollers for
Ceadric. After a couple minutes for James to show them the supply
caravan in his mirror and to work out the battle plan, they alter
their course and move to intercept.

Ceadric and most of the riders take off to
the north in an attempt to get around them while Illan, James and
his people move directly toward them.

“We’re finally going to get in on the
fighting?” Jiron asks.

“Yes. There are too many for Ceadric and the
Raiders to take by themselves.”

“About time,” Scar says from where he
overheard his reply. “Hate just riding along while others get to
have all the fun.”

From up ahead one of the scouts they sent to
keep an eye on the caravan appears riding quickly toward them.
“They’re not much further ahead,” the scout reports as he comes
abreast of Illan.

“Does it look like they are aware of our
approach?” he asks.

Shaking his head, the scout replies, “No.
They’re strung out in a line over a mile long. Most of the
accompanying soldiers are at the head of the column, the rest are
bringing up the rear.”

“Excellent,” Illan states. To Delia he asks,
“How are your slingers on horseback?”

“We’ve done some practice while mounted but
they’re not very accurate unless on the ground,” she admits.

He nods his head and wishes he hadn’t sent
all of Hedry’s archers with Ceadric, the only ones left are Errin
and Aleya. “Who is fairly accurate?” he asks.

“Other than myself, probably Devin, Caleb and
Nerrin,” she replies. “The others simply can’t do it.”

“Alright, here’s what we do…”

Jiron and his riders are riding guard on
Delia and the other three slingers who are accurate on horseback as
they ride quickly toward the enemy caravan. Errin and Aleya ride
with them as well, as do Moyil and Terrance, each of whom is
bearing a lit torch. They plan to target the center of the caravan
where there are the fewest number of soldiers.

The drivers of the enemy wagons take note of
their approach as soon as they appear on the horizon. Several draw
crossbows and one sounds a horn which summons the riders on either
end to their aid.

When Delia comes within sling range of the
wagons, she brings the group to a halt. The four slingers wind up
their slings and let fly a single oil bomb each. Simultaneously,
Errin and Aleya set one of their treated arrows to string, then
wait as Moyil and Terrance light them from the torches they’re
carrying before sending it after the oil bombs.

Just as the first oil bomb strikes one wagon,
Errin’s flaming arrow follows and the wagon erupts in flame. A
second later another wagon is struck by Aleya’s arrow and is soon
being engulfed by fire. They quickly ready two more arrows and let
fly at the remaining two wagons hit by the oil bombs. Crossbow
bolts fly toward them but miss their mark, they just aren’t that
accurate over long distance.

Once the wagons are burning, Jiron hollers,
“Time to go!” From either end of the caravan, riders ride hard to
close with the attackers. As one, Jiron and the others turn to race
back to where James and the others wait.

Not many were left behind when the raiding
party set out. James, Illan, Miko, and the Hand of Asran, as well
as the few slingers whose accuracy from horseback was less than
desirable, were all that remained.

As they flee from the approaching riders,
Jiron and the others see their comrades already in position to ward
off the attackers with James and the Hand of Asran stationed in
front. As he and the others race around to their rear, a greenish
glow surrounds the brothers.

Hundreds of green sprouts rise from the earth
before the oncoming horsemen. Growing quickly, they rise three feet
or more from the ground, large thorns appear and soon a wall of
thorns impedes the path of their pursuers. Some of the horses leap
over the barrier, others go around, but the majority comes to an
abrupt halt.

Crumph! Crumph!

The ground erupts beneath the riders swinging
around the ends of the thorn wall throwing riders and horses into
air. Arrows and slugs fly toward those riders who had jumped the
wall, felling them rapidly.

Of the dozen or more who had jumped over the
barrier, only four continue toward them. Illan and Jiron move to
the fore to stop them. Suddenly, a massive apparition appears
before the riders. Seven feet tall, green and looking for all the
world like a man made of leaves, it spreads its arms wide and lets
out with a roar.

The charging horses roll their eyes in fear
and rear backward, knocking their riders to the ground. Before the
riders even hit the ground, the apparition disappears and Illan and
Jiron move forward to engage them.

Over their heads, arrows and slugs continue
to fly into the riders moving around the barrier to attack with
deadly accuracy. Jiron reaches a rider who’s dazed from his fall
and quickly strikes out with a knife, taking him through the
throat.

As the dead man falls, he moves on to the
next who is already up and in position. Next to him he hears
another rider fall from the death blow Illan dealt him as he
engages the rider.

The rider strikes out with his sword as Jiron
approaches. Sidestepping, he allows the blade to pass next to him.
Lashing out with one knife, he catches the rider along one side,
leaving a six inch trail of blood across his swordarm.

Jumping back, the rider looks at Jiron in
anger. With a cry, he takes his sword in both hands and hacks down
with all his might. As the blade descends toward Jiron, he dodges
to the side and strikes the descending blade with a knife. At the
same time, he lashes out with a foot and knocks the rider off
balance. Before the man has a chance to regain his balance, he
thrusts with his other knife and slips it through a gap in the
armor beneath the ribcage, sinking the blade to the hilt.

With a cry of pain, the rider staggers a
couple of steps before dropping to his knees as blood flows from
his side. His sword falls from his hand as he topples over and hits
the ground where he lies still.

Retrieving his dagger from the fallen man,
Jiron looks to find Illan having already dispatched his two.

Horns sound behind the attacking riders
announcing the arrival of Ceadric and his bunch. With the odds so
much against them, the enemy riders break off the attack and
flee.

Hedry’s archers fire at the fleeing riders
while riding at a full gallop. Some of their arrows find their
marks, but the majority go wide. He divides his men in half,
sending each half after the two groups of fleeing riders.

“Wagons secured,” Ceadric reports as he
nears.

“Any survivors?” James asks.

“Most of the drivers and about a dozen
soldiers,” he replies.

James glances to Illan and nods. “Good,” he
says.

To Ceadric, Illan says, “Keep them at the
wagons. We’ll wish to interrogate them.”

“Yes, sir,” Ceadric says as he salutes and
turns around to head back to the captured wagons.

“Went pretty well,” comments Jiron.

“Yeah it did,” agrees James. “Let’s move to
the caravan and see about the prisoners. We need to get out of here
before too much longer.”

Illan nods as he says, “I agree.”

As everyone gets under way, James glances to
Brother Willim and then nods to the thorn barrier. “Is that going
to last awhile?” he asks.

“Maybe,” he replies. “It’s real so it could
thrive here if it’s the will of Asran. Though I doubt it, too
dry.”

Working their way around the thorn hedge,
James, Illan and the rest make their way across the recent field of
battle to where a score of Ceadric’s riders guard those who
survived their assault. When they arrive, Illan directs Ceadric to
have his men gather what supplies they require before destroying
the wagons.

Ceadric gives him a ‘Yes, sir,’ then orders
two of his junior officers to take care of it.

“Take what rest you can,” Illan announces to
the others. “We leave in under an hour.”

While the group from The Ranch dismounts and
begins distributing rations among themselves for a quick meal
Illan, Ceadric, Jiron and James go to where the prisoners are being
held.

The men being guarded are a sad, dejected
looking lot. A dozen civilian drivers plus over a score of soldiers
sit in a group off to one side. “Sergeant!” Illan barks upon
approaching.

One of the soldiers guarding the prisoners
steps forward and asks, “Yes, sir?”

“Release the drivers,” he tells him. “Get
them out of here and moving on the road north.”

“Yes, sir!” the sergeant replies with a
salute and with the help of two other Raiders soon has the drivers
free of their bonds and heading down the road. When they don’t move
along fast enough, some of the Raiders decide to hurry them a bit
with the broad side of their swords.

Illan turns to the remaining soldiers and
asks, “Who here understands me?”

The prisoners return blank expressions, all
that is except one. A soldier in the center of the group hesitantly
says in heavily accented northern, “I can.”

“You know who I am?” he asks.

“You are the Death Hawk,” he replies, venom
dripping from his words.

“Death Hawk?” James asks as he turns to
Illan.

“That’s the name they gave me,” he says then
turns back to their prisoner. A look of stony defiance is set in
his face as he stares back to him. “What can you tell me of the
defenses at Al-Zynn?” At this time one of the two bands of riders
that had set out after the fleeing riders returns.

The soldier simply stares back in
silence.

The leader of the band comes to a stop before
Illan, snaps him a salute then says, “Got ‘em all.”

“Excellent,” Illan tells him. “Have your men
stand down until we leave.”

“Yes, sir,” the rider replies. He gives Illan
another salute before he and his riders move to the pack horses to
retrieve some food and drink.

Turning back to the prisoner, he asks, “Now,
what do you know of Al-Zynn?”

“I’m not telling you anything!” the soldier
states defiantly. “Though it’s sure to mean my death, I will never
help one who so ravaged the Empire.”

“Al-Zynn?” Jiron asks Ceadric.

“Al-Zynn is a major city that holds the
Empire’s stockpile of weapons and supplies for its northern
armies,” he explains. “During our last campaign here, we planned on
razing it to the ground. But before we could get close enough, the
Empire brought in too many forces to defend it and we had to go
elsewhere. At the time we didn’t realize it but that marked the
beginning of our retreat from the Empire.”

Nodding over to Illan, he adds, “The fact
that he wasn’t able to take it has gnawed at him since then. He
means to head there and take it before they’re able to bring in
sufficient forces to stop us.”

Jiron glances over to James who nods in
agreement.

At this time the second band of Raiders shows
up from their pursuit of the fleeing Empire riders. The lead rider
comes forward at a gallop and says, “Black Hawk! A force of over
four score riders may be on the way.”

“What happened?” he asks.

“We gave chase and took down all but half a
score when another force appeared. Those we were chasing joined up
with them so we returned as fast as we could to give you the news.
There were too many for us to effectively deal with.”

“Very well,” he says. To Ceadric Illan says,
“Get ready to ride.” After a brief glance to James, he adds, “And
kill the prisoners.”

“Yes, sir,” Ceadric says then signals several
soldiers to aid him as he draws a knife and begins slitting their
prisoner’s throats. The first one he comes to is the man who they
were questioning. Taking the prisoner’s hair in one hand, he pulls
back the head and cuts his throat before moving on to the next
one.