The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher (36 page)

“Battle cats are known for their stamina.” Pol told him.

Kenner rubbed Shela’s neck and then got into one of the carts with his men.

             
Just as Kenner had climbed into the cart, he saw towards the horizon a dark mass moving across the plain.  His heart starting beating faster as he thought for a moment that it might be the Wolfen army.  However, there wasn’t enough of them to be the enemy.  Then he heard a horn sound from the mass and General Pol came down the line to Kenner.

“It’s men!” Pol called out.  “It must be the garrison from Post One.”

Chapter Forty Four

              Kenner was summoned to a special council with the King and other officers.  Prince Melkur was there as well.  It was dark and several torches were lit around where the King sat.  A tired and worn officer approached the King and knelt before him.

“
Your Majesty.” He addressed the King kneeling.

“What news?” The King asked him.

             
“Your Majesty,” he began.  “We were attacked in the night by a force of thousands.”

“What kind of force?” The King asked.

He looked around at the officers standing around the King as if looking to them for guidance.

“Don’t be afraid.” The King urged him.  “You can tell me anything.”

“Your Majesty, the enemy army were Wolfen.  At least, I think they were Wolfen.”

“How many of them?” The King interrupted.

“Thousands.” He answered simply.

The King then looked at Erlot.

“Do you think he’s lying too?” He asked with anger in his voice.

Erlot didn’t answer.  He simply looked to the ground.

             
The King looked at the officers around him and then back at the tired soldier.

“How far are they behind you?”

“A day, maybe more.” The soldier answered.

“You and your men get into the carts and rest as much as you can.” He ordered the officer.  He then turned to General Pol.

“We’ll have to pick up the pace.” He ordered.  He then addressed all the officers.

“Tell your men to close their eyes and not open them until morning.  Even with these soldiers, they still outnumber us two to one.  They’ll have to be fully rested for the task ahead.”

He then turned to Melkur.

“Go back to Kallesh and tell General Goshen…”

“But father,” The Prince interrupted.

“Don’t disobey me.  Go back to Kallesh and tell General Goshen to gather every soldier from every post in the land.  If he doesn’t hear from me in three days, he is to march on Mobrey with every soldier he can find.”

             
The soldiers from Post One were packed in with the rest of the army and there was virtually no space for the men to make themselves comfortable.  Kenner again tried to tell General Pol that he would ride through the night.

“You, especially have to be rested as much as possible.” Pol told Kenner.  “You and Terri with her bow may make the difference between victory and defeat.”

Kenner found an empty space between two of his own soldiers and stared at the night’s sky.  It looked almost identical to the one he remembered, except for a sliver of a moon barely illuminating the sky with the stars.  Suddenly he heard the voice of his “Shadow”.  “Sleep” she said and he fell fast asleep.

              He knew he was asleep, but also almost awake.  It was like he was in a kind of trance with sleep and consciousness fighting for his body.  He saw glimpses of dreams come and go through the night.  Some were barely visible, while others were almost as clear as day.  He saw images of places he’d been and people he knew.  He saw the face of a red haired girl standing in the glow of a bonfire.  He knew her from his village and had begun to think he would never see her again.  Here she was standing before him like a gift.  She was smiling a loving smile and her hair glowed in the firelight.

              Then he saw his father in full Walechian armor and holding his sword.  He was standing proud and strong like he had when he was alive and a confident smile was on his face.

“I am with you.” He thought he heard his father say.

             
The next was the clearest dream.  He found himself on the top of the mountain again covered in snow.  It wasn’t cold that he could tell.  The sun was shining bright and “Shadow” stood before him in her black cloak with the hood pulled back for him to see her beautiful face.

              “This is a dream, isn’t it?” He asked her.

“Yes, it is.” She answered simply.  “But this one you will remember.”

“I remember most of my dreams.” He said.

“Not like this one.  This one you will remember as if it were more real than most of your memories.”

             
He stood looking at the stunning view of the mountains before him, taking in their grandeur.

“What’s going to happen?” He asked.

“A battle.” She answered sadly.

“The great battle of my time?”

“No.  Only the first; provided you take the road I think you will.”

              “I seem to remember we were talking about destiny the last time we spoke.”

“Indeed we were.” She said, coming to stand next to him.  “And I was telling you that destiny is not always what people think it is.”

“You didn’t think I was ready for the rest of the conversation.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You think I’m ready for it now?”

“Perhaps, but then again perhaps not.  At any rate, there are things you need to know and I will tell you what you need regarding destiny.”

             
He then saw her pick up a small stone.

“See this rock?” She asked.

He nodded, or at least felt like he nodded.

“This rock has been sitting on this mountain for thousands of years undisturbed by wind, by rain, snow or by human hands.  It has no power over what happens to it or where it goes.  In fact, had I not moved it, it would probably have stayed in that exact same spot for many more thousands of years.  But now, I’ve picked it up and putting it down close to where it was but not exactly is what most people think destiny is; something that moves them without them having any power or say in its effect.”

             
“But you are not a stone,” she continued.  “Neither is any man or woman who has been given the breath of life.  Unlike this stone, you have a choice in which direction you move and a choice in whichever way your destiny goes.”

              “But what about the sword…” He started to ask.

“Make no mistake, destiny gives you choices and the tools to become something larger or smaller than what you begin with.”

“But was it not destiny that led me to the tomb?”

“No, it was I who led you to the tomb.”

“But wasn’t it my destiny?”

“One possible destiny.”

             
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Kenner said confused.  “You pointed me in the direction of the tomb.”

“Yes, but you could have chosen not to follow my directions.”

“I could have gotten lost and died in the mountains.”

“You could have not chosen to go into the mountains at all.”

             
Kenner was then shown the memory of just before he and Captain Krall parted.

“I know it would be easy for you to simply disappear…”He heard Krall’s voice tell him.

“You could have chosen to go back to your village and completely disappear from history,” Shadow told him.  “But you did not.  You could have chosen not to follow my direction.  But you did follow the path I showed you.”

“I tried to give back the sword after I took it.” He reminded Shadow.

“Once you’ve taken a step in the direction of destiny, you cannot go back.”

              “So you chose me to have the sword.” He said, almost disappointed.

“I did, as did others who have faith in you.”

“Faith?” He asked.  “I thought that was us to have for the Lady and the Spirits.”

“Would it surprise you to find that we also have faith in those who believe in us?”

He then heard his father’s voice again.

“Keep faith in the Lady,” the voice said, “and she will keep faith with you.”

             
“So destiny is choice?” He asked.

“Destiny is a thousand choices leading to a thousand different paths.  Destiny gives you that which you need to reach your best or your worst.  But ultimately, it is you who chooses the paths you follow.”

             
Kenner then felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Captain.” He heard.  “It’s time to wake up.”

Chapter Forty Five

              Kenner climbed out of the cart along with the rest of his troops.  Stretching and yawning, he looked around him and saw that the army was just north of the city of Mobrey.  He could also see The Serpent River stretched out to the north and south just behind the city.

              “Form ranks!” Kenner heard someone shouting ahead and he saw most of the army begin to move into the same formations they had before marching out of Kallesh.  He ordered his men to do the same.  Once in the ranks, the men were ordered to sit where they were.  It was only a matter of time, Kenner thought before the enemy forces came upon them.  Looking to the northeast, he saw the plain rise to a rolling hill several miles away.  Soon, perhaps at any moment, Kenner thought the enemy would come marching over that hill.

              Kenner sat with his men and Shela came and sat with him.

“That’s a mighty big pussy you’ve got there.” One of the men joked.

“Are you the same one that told that joke last night?” Kenner asked.

“Guilty as charged.” The soldier replied.

“Remind me to have you clean the shit out of her stall for a week after we get back to Kallesh.”

The company laughed.

             
As he was still under arrest, Captain Krall spent the entire journey from Kallesh inside a locked, wooden box with a single chair.  He had tried to sleep as best as he could, thinking that if Terri could sleep two nights in trees, he could sleep inside a box.  There was very little light inside and when the door opened, he was temporarily blinded by the bright sunlight.

“Alright Captain,” He heard the voice of General Pol.  “You’ve been lazy enough for the past few days.  It’s time for you to get back to work.”

When he came out of the box and climbed out of its cart, his armor and sword were returned to him.  After that, he was led to a horse.

“My fourth different horse in less than a month,” He said sarcastically.  “It must be some kind of record.”

             
He was then led to the front of the formations where a cavalry company waited for him.

“I thought the cavalry would be right for you this time.” Pol told him.

“Sounds about right.” Krall replied with a smile.  He then shook hands with the General and watched him ride away.

              A tent had been constructed for the King at the head of the army.  He sat at a table looking at maps and smoking his pipe to try and keep his mind steady.  In his head, he was replaying the battle that was to come in a hundred different ways at once.  He saw cavalry charges and infantry assaults from all different directions; all happening at the same time as he tried to imagine which ways would give him and his army the best chance at victory.

              At the same time, he knew that it wouldn’t be easy.  In fact, he thought to himself there was more of a possibility that he might be defeated rather than emerge victorious.  Perhaps I’ve made a mistake in leading this army myself, he told himself.  General Pol is a fine commander in his own right, he said in his mind.  Perhaps I should have stayed at Kallesh and let him deal with this.  No, he reminded himself.  I have to lead my men.  I have to command this army from the front as Banner did.  I cannot lose face again.

              A rider then came galloping down from the far hill.

“They’re coming!” He announced.

             
General Pol was still inspecting each individual company and their commanders when the rider came down the hill.  Before he returned to the side of the King, he approached Terri.