Soul of Skulls (Book 6) (35 page)

Chapter 32 - The Siege of Barellion

Malaric followed Agantyr and his ulfhednar guards to the ramparts overlooking the Gate of Knights, the Outer Wall’s southern gate.

"Gods," muttered Malaric.

There were so damned many of them.

Twenty thousand men, maybe even twenty-five thousand, stood arrayed outside Barellion's walls. Malaric saw the banners of the most powerful lords of Greycoast, the spear sigil of Lord Bryce Spearshore among them.

"Damn it," said Malaric. "I should have killed him when I had the chance." 

Agantyr glanced at him. "Indeed. Mercy is for the weak."

Malaric glared at him, but the High King of the Aegonar did not notice. Or, more likely, he did not care. 

"There," said Agantyr, pointing. "That banner, the black tower upon green. That is the banner of the Prince?"

"Aye," said Malaric. Beneath that banner, far in the distance, he glimpsed a figure in golden armor. Mazael Cravenlock himself? "How the devil did they get here so fast? Most of those men were on the northern bank of the River of Lords."

Besides Agantyr, Skalatan hissed. "The Tervingi Guardian commands great power over nature. Most likely he simply froze the surface of the river long enough for them to cross."

"Then will he use his spells to tear down the walls?" said Agantyr.

"No," said Skalatan. "The wards are too strong for that. And the nature of the Guardian's magic forbids him from taking human life." 

"There are ways to destroy a foe," said Malaric, "without killing him."

"Yes," said Skalatan. "A pity you did not utilize some of them. Else we would face fewer foes now." 

The ulfhednar barked laughter, and even Agantyr smiled. 

Malaric kept his face calm, but his hands curled into fists. They dared to laugh at him? He would repay them for that someday. 

But only after they killed Hugh for him.

"The enemy assembles siege towers," said Agantyr, pointing. "There and there. Along with ladders."

Malaric frowned. "It will take them a few days to prepare."

"Correct," said Agantyr. "Time is our ally, and their enemy. Within four days, Earl Ryntald will arrive the rest of my host. And when he does, we shall slay your brother for the glory of Sepharivaim. Meanwhile, they will use their ladders to test our defenses for weakness." He turned to the ulfhednar. "Bid the men to the ramparts. Battle awaits!" 

The ulfhednar ran to do Agantyr's bidding.

###

"You cannot open the gates?" said Hugh. 

He sat atop his horse, surrounded by the chief lords of Greycoast. Mazael Cravenlock waited nearby, gazing at the walls with a distant expression, Molly at his side. 

"I fear not, lord Prince," said Riothamus, his staff in one hand. "There are wards of great power upon the walls of your city. I cannot dispel them."

"Damnation," said Hugh. He had hoped that the Guardian’s magic could open the gates. Otherwise they faced an assault upon Barellion's formidable walls. 

Many men would die in such an attack.

"Those are Aegonar behind the battlements," said Mazael. 

"That seems unlikely, my lords," said Sir Edgar. "My men have scouted the countryside around the city. The Aegonar are at least five days away. Four, if they hasten." 

Hugh nodded. They had four days to get inside the city. If Malaric still held the city when the Aegonar arrived, Hugh’s army would be trapped between the walls and the Aegonar. 

"Those are indeed Aegonar upon the walls," said Riothamus. "An advance force, most likely, sent ahead of the main host."

"How did they get into the city?" said Hugh. "Did they slay Malaric for us?"

"I doubt it," said Molly. "I suspect that our usurper Prince has thrown his lot in with the Aegonar." 

"Malaric?" said Lord Bryce, blinking. "The Aegonar would require his fealty.  I doubt the proud fool would bend his knee to anyone." 

"If he was that desperate," said Riothamus, "surely he would simply flee."

"No," said Molly. "He's too proud to abandon Barellion."

"Lady Molly is right," said Hugh. "Malaric believes that Barellion belonged to him by right. If he would not scruple from murdering my father and my brothers to claim the city...well, becoming a vassal of the Aegonar seems a small matter by comparison." 

"Then we must take the city by storm," said Bryce, "and quickly, before more Aegonar arrive." 

Montigard grunted. "That would be chancy, my lords. The walls are strong, and the Aegonar fight like devils. Even if there are only a few thousand in the city, four days might not be enough." 

"No," said Mazael. "We will get into the city today, my lords."

"How?" said Hugh. 

"My daughter," said Mazael, "has certain gifts."

Hugh looked at Molly, who grinned. 

"A woman?" said Bryce, taken aback. "Ah...how, pray, shall she get us into the city?" 

"I thought I would seduce the guards," said Molly, "cut their throats while they slept, and make off with the keys. But that seems too complicated. So instead I'll kill the guards and open the gates."

"Once you have seen her in battle, my lord Bryce," said Hugh, "you will understand." He looked at Mazael. "But Malaric knows Molly. Will he not anticipate such a stratagem?"

"He will," said Mazael, "which is why we're going to distract him by attacking the walls." 

Hugh frowned. "The siege towers are not yet complete."

"Yes," said Mazael, "but the ladders are ready now." 

"A great many men will die," said Hugh, "if we attack the walls."

"They will," said Mazael. "But Malaric and the Aegonar have already killed a great many men. And if the Aegonar conquer Greycoast and Malaric keeps the throne of Barellion...then a great many more of your people will likely die, my lord Prince." 

Hugh said nothing. He knew Mazael would not challenge him in front of the lords, but the message was plain. A Prince had to make hard decisions. And no matter what choice Hugh made today, men would die. He could only hope to save as many of his people as he could. 

And Adelaide was behind those walls.

He hoped.

"Gods forgive me," said Hugh. "We shall follow your counsel. My lord Mazael, my lord Bryce, give the orders." 

Mazael nodded, and Bryce shouted commands to the men. 

The army started to move. 

###

"Here they come," said Malaric. 

"Good," said Agantyr. "It has been too long since my sword tasted blood." 

The Aegonar arranged themselves in two lines across the ramparts, swordsmen and axemen in front, archers behind. The enemy arrayed themselves around twelve enormous siege ladders tall enough to reach the Outer Wall's ramparts. Militiamen carried the ladders, while armsmen screened them with heavy shields. 

"Bid the archers," said Agantyr, "to release as soon as the foe comes within range. The siege engines atop the gatehouse will also release."

"The Guardian," said Malaric, "may try to protect Hugh's men."

Skalatan's tongue flickered from beneath the gray cowl. "I shall handle his spells."

The ladders drew closer, and the Aegonar tensed.

"Release!" bellowed Agantyr.

###

Riothamus saw the archers draw their bows, saw the motion of the siege engines atop the Gate's towers. Beyond that he saw Barellion's Inner Wall and the towers of the Prince's Keep. The Sight flashed through him, and he knew that the burning skull and the Lady of Blades awaited him within that Keep.

But he could not think about them now.

He lifted the Guardian's staff and worked a spell. The archers released and the catapults fired, and Riothamus swept the staff before him. A gale howled overhead, scattering the arrows and knocking aside the barrels of burning pitch. 

The men drew closer to the walls, and Riothamus felt a surge of magical power. The archers drew again, and Riothamus worked another spell. Green light flared and pulsed on the battlements, and Riothamus lifted his staff, commanding the wind to scatter the archers' arrows. But a pulse of emerald light washed from the walls, and the wind stilled.

The volley of arrows slammed into the advancing men. The armsmen's shields turned most of the shafts, but some men fell, wounded and dying. 

Riothamus gritted his teeth and summoned the Sight, turning it towards the ramparts. He saw the wards in the walls, ancient and strong, potent enough to turn aside any magical attack.

And he saw the vortex of dark power atop the battlements. It, too, was ancient and strong, but cold and icy, possessed of deep cunning and calculation.

It was Skalatan, the San-keth archpriest. Riothamus's power as the Guardian forbade him from killing any human...but the San-keth were not human. Yet Riothamus could not kill the San-keth. Mazael needed Skalatan's blood to heal Romaria.

And looking at the depth of dark magic the serpent commanded, Riothamus doubted he could overpower Skalatan anyway.

"What is it?" said Mazael. "That green light?"

"Skalatan," said Riothamus, pointing at the wall. "He's there, on the battlements."

Mazael's eyes narrowed. 

###

Malaric scowled. "Can you not kill the Guardian?" Mazael and Molly concerned him, but the Guardian frightened him. The Guardian had almost unraveled the spells around Corvad's skull twice, first at the battle at Swordgrim, and then during the duel outside the walls of Cravenlock Town. 

He had no wish to face the Guardian again. 

"No," said Skalatan. "The Guardian's power equals my own. He can counter any spell I work. But if he launches an attack upon the walls, I shall dispel it."

"Good," said Agantyr. "Steel, rather than sorcery, will decide the battle. As it should be."

Hugh's men continued to advance, despite the steady rain of arrows, and the siege ladders slammed against the battlements. 

"Let them come!" roared Agantyr. "Kill them all!" 

Men rushed up the siege ladders, and the fighting began. Steel rang on steel and sank into flesh. Men screamed and fell lifeless to the ramparts, or tumbled from the wall to crash against the street. Malaric watched the fighting, but kept glancing over the wall.

To the Chalsain banner in the field below, where the captains sat on their horses.

One stride through the shadows would take Malaric there. Mazael and Molly could match him in a fight, but he knew that Hugh could not. One quick thrust through the heart, and Malaric would have no more rivals...and his vassals would have no more reason to fight him. Perhaps some of them would see reason and join him. 

Malaric waited for his chance.

###

Molly dropped from the saddle and drew her sword and dagger. 

"Molly," said Mazael, his face grim as he watched the melee. "Now."

Molly nodded and looked at Montigard. "Ready?"

"For a dance with a beautiful woman?" said Montigard, but she saw the fear in his brown eyes. "Always." 

She did not like Montigard, but she could not open the Gate alone, and he was one of the best swordsmen in Hugh's army. 

"Good," said Molly. 

She took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and reached for the dark fire of her Demonsouled blood. Travelling through the shadows was difficult, but simple enough for her alone. Taking someone with her took considerably more strength, and it was a long distance to the Gate of Knights. 

She thought she could do it.

Time to find out.

Molly took a deep breath, grabbed Montigard's shoulder, and dragged him with her through the shadows. 

Blackness swallowed her, pain flashing through her head.

But the darkness cleared, and she found herself standing in a narrow stone stairwell. The steps spiraled above her, and she heard the sounds of fighting filtering through the arrow slits.

Montigard looked back and forth, eyes wide.

Molly wiped sweat from her brow. She had brought them to the stairs leading to the chamber overlooking the Gate itself. The skilled blacksmiths of Barellion had built the gates, and one man could open them by pulling a single lever. 

A lever the Aegonar would guard closely.

Molly glided up the stairs in silence, Montigard following her. The stairwell ended in a closed door. Molly listened at the door for a moment, nodded, and then whispered in Montigard's ear.

"It's unlocked," she said. "Follow when you hear the fighting."

He nodded and lifted his sword.

Molly drew on her Demonsouled blood and stepped into the shadows.

She reappeared in the gatehouse. Narrow windows offered a view of the men struggling up the ladders, and a huge windlass dominated the center of the room. Four older Aegonar warriors stood at the windows, watching the fighting. 

Molly stepped forward and stabbed the nearest man in the back. He fell with a strangled gurgle, and the other men whirled and drew their swords. They gaped at her in surprise, and Molly seized the moment to attack.

The nearest Aegonar's sword snapped up in a parry, deflecting her strike, and the warriors went on the offensive. Molly jumped back, her sword and dagger bobbing and weaving as she blocked and dodged. The door slammed open, and Montigard charged into the room, howling a war cry. 

For a moment, he drew the attention of the Aegonar, and Molly jumped into the shadows. 

She reappeared behind the Aegonar as Montigard attacked, and she killed one with a quick strike of her dragon's tooth dagger. The remaining Aegonar backed towards the wall, and Molly sidestepped, trying to keep out of their reach. Montigard shouted, his blade a blur, and drove his weapon into the neck of an Aegonar warrior. The man stumbled, and Molly finished him with a quick thrust.

The final Aegonar charged, his axe hammering at Montigard's shield. Montigard blocked the blow and struck back, catching the Aegonar in the chest. The warrior stumbled, and Molly stepped forward and stabbed her sword into his armpit.

The man fell, his scream fading to a quiet gurgle. 

Molly looked around, blood dripping from her blades. The gatehouse was silent, the only noise the sound of the battle rising through the windows.