The New Guard (Crossroads Book 1) (16 page)

Nearby a
group of goblins upon a horse tried to swarm upon the dying adversary, but they
only succeeded in spooking the horse which reared, knocking the mounted goblin
next to it to the ground. An arrow quickly pinned the goblin to the road
leaving him there to bleed to death. Three arrows flew, each hitting targets
all over the field of battle: the rider-less rat, the unbalanced goblin on the
carriage, and one of the four goblins sharing a horse. This particular group of
goblins rapidly changed direction to intercept the bowman, and once in range
they all jumped at his horse. The bowman would not easily go down, though. He
fired one more arrow, taking out one of the leaping goblins. The other two
landed but awkwardly, and the Coterie man pressed his advantage. He hit one
goblin off his horse, with his bow breaking the wood in half. He speedily
recovered and, taking the broken bow halves in hand, wrapped the string around
the remaining goblin’s throat and yanked it backwards with a satisfying snap.
The bowman let the goblin and bow drop and pulled out a large hatchet from his
belt. He headed deeper into the fray.

Up front,
Jared recovered just in time to see the rat mount on the left going for another
horse. Within seconds, the large rat had three throwing knives imbedded into
its skull, but it still leapt upon a horse. Jared threw himself at the rat,
pulling out two more knives. In the meantime, the two remaining warriors
quickly dispatched the rat on their side and moved to help Jared. However,
neither Jared nor the warriors could act quickly enough. By the time they
dislodged and slew the rat, the horse it had attacked was mortally wounded. The
warriors helped Jared cut it free. Once the job was done, they all turned at
the sound of a desperate shout from the other driver.

To the
rear, the surviving Coterie warriors tried to push the remaining goblins back.
However, the rat rider and his companions fought desperately. They knew they
were outnumbered, and they also knew they had to stop the carriage. The
remaining three goblins, upon their purloined mounts, maneuvered deeper into
the fray and began acrobatically jumping from horse to horse with flashing
blades, trying to land a poisonous blow. The black rat rider took full
advantage of this and brought his bow to bear. With one loosed arrow the
fortunes of war changed hands. The goblin aimed for and hit one of the
warriors. The arrow shot straight through the warrior’s stomach and into his
horse's head. The three goblins stopped their jumping and hacked away with
their blades, sealing the warrior’s fate. The three goblins then steered their
horse toward the carriage. The two remaining warriors saw this, yet they were
busy trying to defend themselves from the goblins’ missiles.

The
warrior who had recently unleashed a similar offensive knew the advantage the
goblin behind him held. He decided to act desperately in order to counter this
advantage. In a flash, the warrior pulled back on his horse’s mane, causing the
steed to rear. While he and his mount were at a standstill, the entire battle
started to fly past them and brought the warrior into close proximity of the
goblin archer. The goblin noted the movement, but he was busy loosing another
arrow and could not properly address the situation. The arrow flew, missed the
warrior he’d aimed for, but hit the horse he rode. In a wondrous show of skill
and valor, both warriors jumped from their horses. The one nearest the carriage
launched himself at the horse the goblins had just leapt from in order to gain
the carriage. The other warrior tackled the goblin archer. Both the goblin and
rat fell to the deadly and ferocious blade work of the warrior.

During
the struggle, the three goblins scrambled farther up the carriage and joined
their comrade, who was sneaking up on the carriage driver.

Inside,
Alawnwee cried while cradling Rebekah, trying desperately to stabilize her from
the constant jarring the carriage was undergoing. The Fox in turn was trying
equally hard to counteract the poison working into Rebekah’s system. However,
the guardian angel was only successful in slowing the poison’s progress and
lessening the strength of the hideous liquid.

The sound
of the three goblins thumping onto the carriage brought the senior drover’s
attention to the rear just in time to miss getting cut by a swiping blade. He
cried out, drawing the attention of Jared and the warriors, all of whom instantly
took in the dangerous situation and sprang into action. The warriors turned
their mounts and got themselves level with the carriage. With lithe movements
that spoke of years of training, the two Coterie men leapt from their horses
and grabbed onto either side of the driver’s seat. The senior driver had by
this time lashed the reins to the rail in front of the seat and was trying to
fend off four goblins. However, as good a fighter as he had been in his youth,
in his autumn years he could not stand up to the gruesome goblins. Though he
fought valiantly, he lost his life to multiple sword strokes. Still, he bought
the Coterie guards enough time to ascend the carriage.

Once upon
the carriage the two warriors fought swiftly and savagely. They watched carefully
for the poisoned blades and timed simultaneous strokes of their own blades for
maximum effect. Two minutes the final melee lasted. In the end, however, only
the two warriors remained upon the top of the carriage.

When the
sound of fighting ceased, Jared, who had taken back control of the horses,
risked a look back and asked, “Is it all clear?”

Both the
warriors replied, “Aye.”

Jared
slowed the carriage down, “Check on the ladies,” he said hurriedly. “I heard at
least one of them screaming earlier.”

One of
the Coterie fighters laid flat on the roof and knocked on the carriage door.
“All is clear for now; how
fare
you two?”

Alawnwee
replied, fear lacing her words, “The lady Rebekah has been hurt. She was cut by
a blade. She has a fever.”

The
warrior felt his companion’s hand on his back and looked up, then to the rear
where the other fellow was pointing. Coming up from behind the last two
warriors had secured the horses the other two had jumped from.

“Stop the
cart so we can check on her and the remaining horses,” said the warrior still
lying down.

Jared
looked around, his eyes trying to take everything in; then wordlessly, he
reined in the horses. Both Coterie men jumped down from the roof. One went
forward to check the carriage team, while the other opened the carriage door to
check on the ladies. Jared stood, reins in one hand and a throwing knife in the
other, his eyes sweeping the area.

*

Ferreter
could not follow the battle as quickly as he would have liked to. He was forced
to move along at a slow trot, taking in the signs of destruction left by the
pursuit. After thirty minutes, he came upon the small demon that had pulled
itself into the shadows of the nearby trees. Ferreter stopped as it called out,
“Who is there?”

Ferreter
replied, “The Rider, what happened?”

The demon
spoke of the battle and the angel attack. Though he was loath to hear of the
loss of the second demon, he was happy to hear of the angel’s demise. The demon
ended piteously, “. . . and now I am blind.”

Ferreter spit
down at the demon. “Easily fixed, but for now find some animals to possess and
use their eyes. Make one a bird so as to better follow the progress of the
carriage. It should be something uninteresting, such as a common songbird. Take
any other swift animal you can find and get me reinforcements. We’ll have a
little window of time to strike the carriage one more time at nightfall before
they reach the capital gates.”

At that,
Ferreter rode off without another word and continued to track the carnage of the
moving battle.

Rebekah
would have marveled at the sight of Dauntalus, the capital, the city-state, the
Central Kingdom. From miles and miles away it could be seen. The city started
as a grand castle carved out of a mountain by the dwarves. As each race joined
the construction it expanded, and soon the mountain was completely consumed and
shaped into grand buildings. The city grew and grew. Soon, the surrounding area
within twelve miles of the mountain fortress was covered with awe inspiring buildings
to suit any need. This all was surrounded by a massive wall twenty-four feet
thick and thirty-six feet tall. However, it was the center of the city that
drew every traveler’s attention. Rooted deep in the mountain’s foundation, a
tower three miles round and one-mile-high was easily seen when travelers were
miles and miles away from the city. It was a structure unlike any seen on any
of the habitable worlds outside the Crossroads.

It was
after this city that Haven was modeled. The bastion walls were manned by all
save a few of the twelve races. However, long ago, like nearly all cities, the
walls did not keep out the forces of darkness unless the guard was vigilant and
the people rallied to the capital’s defense. Little by little, one at a time,
the enemy got past the walls and infested the city. Alawnwee’s fears of coming
to Dauntalus were not unfounded. Demons had taken up residence in the shadows
and whispered sin in the ears of all who would listen. Though at times the
spiritual warfare of the Central Kingdom would be straightforward and public,
most often it was fought as it was in all the inhabitable worlds. Demons
corrupted people, drove them mad, and slowly eroded their moral center. Angels
and saints fought idealistic battles and spoke of values, trying to guide the
populace to the right and true way of God. Many days it seemed the enemy was
winning the battle for the Crossroads within the walls of the Central Kingdom.
Yet righteousness fought on.

*

As the
sun set, Jared urged the horses to go as fast as they could. One warrior
trailed, one galloped along on either side, and one rode with Jared up in the
driver’s seat. Weapons were drawn and eyes were searching warily. Dauntalus was
just over a mile away; however, it was a far distance to be traveled in the
night.

Ferreter
had wisely instructed his hound to hide during the day within sight of the
capital. Now with the last rays of daylight gone, hound and Rider reunited in
the shadows within sight of the carriage. The demon too was there, in possession
of three snipes and one woodpecker.

“Slim
pickings, Rider,” the demon was reporting through the woodpecker. “The road
between Haven and the capital are still too traveled and patrolled for any true
hideout to be established. We are all that is left to take the carriage.”

“Very
well,” Ferreter growled. “We must act quickly then; they will be within range
of the gates far too soon. Have the snipes crawl into one of the saddle
bags.
I’ll toss it upon the carriage as I pass on my way to take
out one of the side guards. The hound will dispatch the other one. While we
both attack the rear guard, you use the snipes to see to the two driving.”

Without
waiting for a reply from the demon, Ferreter urged his horse into a faster pace
so as to pass the wagon while still in the shadows. Once past, he wheeled
around and rode right for the carriage. He grabbed the saddle bag in his right
hand and formed a shadow sword in his left. The hound ran parallel to him as
they bounded forward. Within sight of the horse team they broke apart: Ferreter
to the carriage’s left, the hound to the right.

Jared and
the warrior riding with him both cried out the alarm, but the Dark Rider and
the Void hound were swift as shadows. The two Coterie guards on either side of the
carriage fell with little struggle, and Ferreter tossed the saddle bag up onto
the roof. The warrior there heard the movement and acted quickly, turning to
the rear two tomahawks already in his hands.

On Earth,
snipes are simple water fowl. However, on the Coterie home world, the name is
used to describe a far more dangerous creature. They are creatures easily
trained to serve the forces of the Void. Their multi-hued hides allow them to
blend into most backgrounds. Their sharp claws enable them to scale even the
smoothest brick walls, and their sharp incisors can cut through softer metals
and stone. In size most snipes are no larger than dachshunds but possess the
wiriness of weasels.

The
warrior had a hard time keeping track of all three snipes at once. However,
Coterie boys are raised on snipe hunts. The warrior’s hatchets swung hither and
yon; the snipes’ bodies bobbed and weaved. Cuts and bites were traded left and
right. Soon all the snipes and the warrior were bleeding from several different
wounds.

Jared
bellowed out, to those upon the gate, “We are under attack!”

Neither
the Coterie man nor the snipes were distracted by Jared’s shout, but the demon
possessing the snipes was. The demon compelled the snipes to move so it could
better see the upcoming gate, but only succeeded in causing them to lose the
rhythm of the fight. Two of the snipes paid the price for this folly with their
lives. The demon felt the sting of death and pushed at the last snipe to jump
from the carriage. The warrior took a deep breath and let it out; however, that
would be the extent of his respite.

After the
Dark Rider and the hound killed the side guards, they both sped back to the
rear one. The fight was joined and lasted longer than Ferreter thought it
would. The warrior was armed with a short spear that had a long blade, and he
wore a studded glove that ran up to his elbow. The thick leather and rounded
studs acted as a great shield, deflecting Ferreter’s sword and the hound’s
teeth. The short spear also was a powerful weapon, giving the warrior a great
reach. Ferreter and the hound had to fight hard for the victory they finally
won.

Once the
Coterie man was dispatched, the Rider rode to the back of the carriage and
signaled the hound to go up. A beat after the hound’s unearthly jump to the top
of the carriage, Ferreter followed.

Bleeding,
nearly breathless, the Coterie warrior atop the carriage stood against Void
hound and Dark Rider. He gripped his axes firmly and charged. So too did the
hound. When they clashed, the guard took a firm grip of the hound as it sank
wicked fangs into his flesh. With a roar, the warrior flung himself off of the
carriage, hound still in hand.

Ferreter
looked over and watched as the two fell and saw the warrior struggling with the
hound even as they hit the ground. Ferreter reminded himself to never
underestimate the desperate measures the Coterie will attempt against the
forces of the Void. However, that was not his concern now. Now he had the
driver to take care of.

Yet Jared
was not unready for the Rider. A slim, silver throwing knife shot out and
lodged into Ferreter’s thigh. Ferreter grunted, then growled louder. Pain
radiated from the wound. He looked down at the knife and saw a faint glow. When
he looked up, Jared was nowhere to be seen. Then arrows hit him: one in each
thigh, and another in his right arm. One grazed his left arm. As he moved to
look for the shooter, two more arrows sliced his skin. Both fell on his left
side: one cutting his cheek, one nearly blinding him as it sailed by, just
below his temple.

Ferreter
jumped from the carriage onto his waiting steed and urged his horse out of
arrow range. The carriage had finally gotten close enough to the walls of
Dauntalus that the sharpest shooters could fire arrows. The Rider cursed under
his breath as he saw Jared sit up and steer the carriage closer to safety. The
hound limped up then, and Ferreter spat yet another curse and rode off into the
night.

Jared
guided the carriage through the tall arch of Dauntalus’ Northern Gate. Two
armored knights came alongside his team and grabbed hold of the lead horses.
They slowed the horses but did not stop them. While the one on the right guided
the team down the road, the knight on the left looked up at Jared.

“State
your business and explain the circumstances of your entrance.” The knight’s
tone was firm and commanding, and Jared had enough experience with the gate
guards to know that there were more than these two watching him.

“I have
wounded,” Jared said quickly. “She’s pregnant and fighting goblin poison. I
don’t know how, but she is. I intend to head for the Citadel Proper and the
Royal Healers.”

“A tall
order for somebody who hasn’t identified himself,” the first knight responded.

“His name
is Jared Lostson,” the other knight said. Both Jared and the other knight
looked over to him. The second knight pulled up his faceplate. In the city’s
lamp light, Jared could just make out his half-brother’s face.

“Unwin,”
Jared said with surprise. “When did they make you a knight?”

Unwin
looked at Jared with deep lines of sorrow. “Last full moon; my mother died and
I called in one of my favors. I only have one left; how about you?”

Jared
mirrored his half-brother’s sadness. “I’m sorry to hear that news.” He sighed
heavily. “This trip to the healers will no doubt use up my last favor.”

“Is she
yours?” Unwin asked, indicating the carriage and the wounded woman within.

Jared
shook his head and answered, “No.”

“I hope
she’s worth it,” Unwin responded.

Jared
looked behind him at the carriage. “I think she just might be.”

Without
another word, Unwin signaled to the other knight and they led the carriage on
through the streets of Dauntalus. Jared took the opportunity to turn in his
seat and open a small sliding door at the rear of it. The hatch opened to the
interior of the carriage, allowing Jared to look in on the passengers.

“She’s
still with us, but getting hotter,” Alawnwee said without prompting.

“We’re in
the city and we’ll have help soon, the best help.”

Alawnwee
nodded wearily and Jared turned back around.

*

The
healers were already waiting for the carriage to arrive and took Rebekah from
it as soon as it stopped. Stable hands came running from the other side of the
courtyard and started tending to Jared’s team. Alawnwee worked with the healers
to carry Rebekah into the building. She was explaining Rebekah’s situation as
they walked. Jared followed without invitation, and Unwin walked after him. As
they entered the building, Unwin signaled a page, whispered a brief message to
him, and sent him running.

Both
Jared and Unwin were prevented from entering the room into which they took
Rebekah. No one saw the Fox limping in alongside its charge. Unwin took his
helmet off and gave his half-brother a moment to collect his thoughts before he
began to talk to him.

“Tell me
the whole story so I can file my report.”

Jared
told of the summons he received to drive the carriage to Haven and the warnings
it held that the cargo would be valuable. He then went on to explain the battle
as best he could. As his tale continued, Unwin stopped looking at his
half-brother and stared at the closed door in front of them. When Jared
finished, Unwin shook his head.

“You made
the right choice,” he said. “I just wish we knew why this woman was important.”

Before
they could begin to speculate, a door off to the side opened and the page Unwin
had talked to was standing there.

“He waits
within,” the boy said before walking past them.

Unwin motioned
for Jared to follow, and they both entered the room the page had just left.
Standing by the window was a tall, regal-looking elf, wearing a fine silk robe.
He turned, and both brothers went down on one knee.

“Your
Majesty,” they both intoned.

“Rise,”
Insur, the High King of the Crossroads said.

Both
young men rose and stood, with hands folded in front of them.

Jared was
a mixed blood, as Rebekah had suspected. He shared Coterie, elf, and human
blood. His russet red skin and subtle Coterie features came from his mother’s
side of the family, while his elf heritage came from his father. Unwin too was
a half breed, but Jared was not certain of the mix. Unwin’s yellow eyes and
sharp senses spoke of a link to the anthope, though members of that species were
hard to identify based on uniform traits. Mostly Unwin favored his sire’s race,
the elves.

Standing
side by side as they were, it was easy to see the familial resemblance: the
shape of their eyes, the definition of their chins, posture, and presence. It
was also easy to see how closely they resembled King Insur, their illegitimate
father.

“I was
about to retire to my chambers for the night,” Insur said levelly. “Are you
both calling in your final favors?”

Jared
stepped forward, “Your majesty, I am the one that would ask my final boon.
Unwin summoned you for me as I was not thinking clearly, due to my recent day’s
work. It is for that work that I am compelled to seek your favor one last
time.”

The ruler
of Dauntalus looked over to Unwin and said, “I take it you were on duty
tonight?”