The Awakened Book Two (7 page)

“Interesting,” Dacien replied. “You have had training in the arts of war.”

“Something like that,” said Kael, waving his hand in dismissal. “If you would like, I’ll ride out in front.”

After contemplating the idea for a minute, Dacien replied. “Yes. I think that would be a good idea.”

After introducing Kael to the men, who numbered almost fifty, Dacien relayed the plan to the group. The soldiers, without question, began to assemble themselves. Kael mounted his horse and grabbed a shield and spear, opting instead for a weapon with a longer range than the short, Orud-style sword made exclusively for thrusting.

The groups spread out ten yards apart, just as Kael suggested, and began to move slowly forward into the darkening forest. Kael and five other riders rode a short distance ahead and began to cut left and right through the trees, trusting in the speed and agility of the horses to keep them out of danger.

Almost immediately, a barbarian jumped out from his hiding place and swung his axe at one of the riders. The Syvak warrior missed and gave away his position. The nearest group of Orud soldiers quickly closed-in and the archer struck his mark before any combat took place. Seeing the effectiveness of their strategy, the soldiers’ confidence began to grow. In a matter of minutes several more confrontations occurred to the same end.

The plan was working.

But the darkness of night was closing in quickly and barbarians were growing more reckless with each attack. Dacien called the riders to himself and changed the strategy.

“We need to speed this up. Ride farther ahead and seek out barbarians for yourself. Kill them on your own if you can. Those of us on the ground will move quicker to give you support.”

Kael and the rest of the riders accepted the change immediately, spurring their animals into motion. Suddenly, the soldiers from
Bastul
were charging through the forest, trying to keep up with the horses. The rider on the left flank went down, but a nearby group came to his aid and dealt with the barbarian. The horse was lost, but the rider escaped uninjured.

In the failing light, sound became the dominant sense. Sharp clangs of warfare sounded from numerous directions. The soldiers, trying to beat back the night, abandoned their fears and charged into the forest, knowing that the remainder of the Syvaku must be dealt with immediately.

Kael closed his eyes and kicked the sides of his horse. As the animal’s hooves dug into the soft earth, Kael expanded his senses to take in all of his surroundings. In his mind’s eye, he could see every trunk and limb around him. The sound of the running beast beneath him was a warning call to the Syvaku. As he passed between the trees, warriors stepped out from their hiding places, only to be cut down before they could even see their enemy. It became a dance, one that Kael had perfected.

After half an hour, and the complete loss of light, the soldiers from
Bastul
gathered together in a small clearing. Kael rode near and listened to the hushed sounds of urgent discussion as the soldiers quickly decided the best strategy. Suddenly, the air grew lighter around them as several trees began to go up in flames. Within seconds, the forest all around was burning and Kael realized that the barbarians were about to make their final attack.

“Gather together,” shouted Dacien. “Archers in the center, spearmen form a perimeter.”

Kael and the remaining cavalry urged their animals into motion and began to move around the group, keeping an eye on the burning trees. For several minutes, the only activity was the fire, its flames climbing the trunks of the surrounding trees. Embers and ash began to fall from above as the leaves were consumed.

Kael could see the tension in the faces of the spearmen as he rode around the circle. It was a common tactic that the Syvaku were using; waiting until the soldiers from
Bastul
began to mistrust their eyes. Staring at the flames had a way of dulling the senses. Each time Kael circled the group, he could feel a presence at the east side of the clearing. Sometimes the feeling would increase in intensity, presumably as the barbarians moved near. Other times, it would almost completely disappear, only to return from another direction. Kael knew that the enemy was waiting for the right time, as well as the right approach. Of course, he couldn’t tell the soldiers from
Bastul
about his feelings. It wasn’t something that they would believe or understand. But Kael had stopped long ago trying to explain. He had learned through trial and error to trust his instincts.

Suddenly, from the west side of the clearing, an axe spun through the air, catching one of the horsemen on his right arm and knocking him from his horse. The circle of soldiers tensed, wanting to help their fallen friend, but not willing to break the formation. The horseman rose to his feet, blood dripping from a deep gash in his upper arm as well as a minor wound to his abdomen. As he jogged to catch up to his horse, a form appeared at the edge of the clearing, running for the fallen rider.

Kael spun in his saddle and shouted. “Guard yourself,” but it was too late. The barbarian approached from the other side of the man’s horse, unseen until he darted to the rear of the animal and delivered a fatal blow with his crude sword. Just as the Orudan soldier fell to his knees, the barbarian was thrown backwards by the impact of three arrows.

Kael looked back to the circle and saw the concentration of all the men focused on the west side of the clearing and the events that had just occurred.

“Don’t be distracted,” he yelled to the men, searching for the presence of the barbarians. And then, to the north, he felt it. It wasn’t as strong as he expected. Then he sensed another larger group of men to the south and instantly knew the Syvak’s plan.

“Beware the diversion to the north,” he shouted, breaking away from the group and riding directly to the south. As the flaming trees neared, he could hear the commotion behind him as several barbarians charged into the clearing to draw the attention of the Orud soldiers. Kael dropped his shield and pulled a sword from the scabbard hanging from his side. Now armed with a spear in his right hand and a sword in his left, he raised himself from the saddle and stood in the stirrups to gain the extra mobility.

Almost immediately, figures began to dart out of the forest, coming from both sides of his horse. Kael stabbed with the spear and swung the sword downward, toppling three men in seconds. After going through the flames, Kael stopped his horse and watched as the majority of the remaining barbarians charged back through the flames toward the Orud soldiers. Kael jabbed his right knee into the saddle and his horse turned left to follow behind the Syvaku.

In their blind fury, the barbarians ran forward, concentrated solely on their goal to kill the soldiers. Kael used this to his advantage and struck down one after another from behind, his enemies only realizing what was happening as they fell to his weapons.

The barbarians spilled out into the clearing and were immediately assaulted by a volley of arrows. In the light of the clearing, Kael noted that Dacien’s estimation of thirty Syvaku was far too conservative. They numbered closer to fifty, nearly matching the number of men from
Bastul
.

As the first rows of barbarians impaled themselves upon the spearmen’s weapons, Kael ducked to the right and rode along the rear of the Syvaku. His weapons lashed out, striking many as he spurred his horse to a gallop. Nearing the end of their ranks, he turned around for another pass, just in time to see the circle of Orud soldiers spread out to keep from being surrounded. The rear ranks of the Syvaku pulled back in order to flank the soldiers, and Kael lost his opportunity.

He quickly jumped down from his horse, no longer needing the charging power. Instead, he opted for his own maneuverability and ran to confront the enemy. Axe blades swung by him as he dodged in and out of clusters of untrained raiders. With each step he jabbed and slashed, not even pausing to see the men fall around him.

The final confrontation lasted only a few minutes and when the last Syvak fell to the ground, Kael glanced around to assess the damage. The soldiers from
Bastul
had lost over half of their numbers, but their Captain was still alive. The remaining men jabbed their weapons into the air and shouted their victory, regaining a small measure of the dignity that had been taken from them by their enormous losses earlier that day.

After searching the surrounding area for additional enemies, the remainder of the group from
Bastul
marched back through the trees and headed southwest. They arrived at the edge of the forest at midnight and made camp in the foothills northwest of
Bastul
. Most of the men went directly to sleep, but a handful, including Dacien and Kael sat around a small fire, replaying the day’s events in their heads. After a long period of silence, Dacien spoke.

“Once again,” he directed to Kael, “I thank you for your help.”

Kael only nodded in response, staring at the fire.

“You were probably responsible for a third of them,” he continued, murmurs of agreement coming from the other soldiers.

“No,” Kael protested.

Dacien shrugged his shoulders. “I know what I saw.” He paused for a moment. “What will you do now?”

Kael thought for a second. “I…don’t know. I might ask you the same question.”

“In the morning, we’ll head back to the city for whatever provisions are left. Then we’ll leave immediately for
Nucotu
.”

“Are you leaving anyone behind to secure the city?”

Dacien smiled. “There’s nothing left to secure. Anyway, we’ll come back after I get a message sent to
Leoran
. They have to know what’s happened.”

Kael nodded again and looked back to the fire. There were so many thoughts running through his head that they all muddled together. For the first time in his life, he felt without purpose. After several minutes of silence, he stood up. “Would you mind if I accompany you and your men to
Nucotu
?”

Dacien laughed. “Of course not. You’re one of us now. Besides, you’re handy to have around. I just may need my life saved again.”

Kael smiled in return. “Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good evening,” the soldiers spoke softly.

Chapter 6

“Maeryn,” spoke Thaddius, softly.

Maeryn turned her head and looked at him. “I know…it’s time.” She was sitting atop a boulder along the southern rim of the valley containing the refugees from
Bastul
. Her hair fluttered in the breeze coming off the ocean as she stared out upon the rolling hills. She couldn’t see
Bastul
from her viewpoint, but she knew it was out there. And somewhere within the city limits, Zula and Ajani were trapped, by capture or death, unable to return. The Resistance couldn’t wait any longer. They had to begin their long trek to the north. “Still no word?”

“Nothing,” said the Resistance leader. “I’m sorry,” he added.

“I’m sorry as well, but they knew our timeline. We’ll leave whenever you’re ready.”

“Nightfall is quickly approaching. It will be best to move under the cover of darkness.”

“Then I’ll tell the people to be ready by sundown,” she said, climbing down from the rock and starting down into the valley.

The remainder of the day passed slowly as Maeryn tried to rest in preparation for the coming night. There was a mixture of fear and excitement in the camp and it seemed that Maeryn wasn’t the only one who had trouble resting. The Resistance guards, on the other hand, seemed to have no difficulty taking turns napping in the shade of the trees. Maeryn thought that they must be used to conducting their activities at odd hours.

By the time the evening meal was ready, Maeryn couldn’t stand being still any longer. She walked down from her napping area to the bottom of the valley where the refugees were beginning to gather. The smell of food immediately made her mouth water. The provisions for this trip had been planned out long in advance, with each person responsible for bringing something of value to the whole group when they left the city. Some brought simple, light cooking utensils, while others brought water containers or sacks of grain. It was accepted that this meal would be the last before the strict rationing would be enforced, and Maeryn tried to concentrate on enjoying what was available.

After assembling into lines to collect their dinner, the crowd dispersed into the surrounding areas to enjoy their meals. Aelia came over to Maeryn and sat down, her food untouched.

“Eat up. This is the best meal that we’re going to have for a while.”

“I know,” Aelia replied. “But I don’t have an appetite. Are we really going to leave without Ajani and Zula?”

Maeryn turned to her daughter with tears in her eyes. “We have to.”

“Why?”

“Look at all these people,” Maeryn replied. “We can’t jeopardize their lives for the sake of two people, even though they are our friends. It just wouldn’t be right.”

Aelia picked at her food. “Is there anything we can do?”