Die for the Flame (13 page)

When Martan had been given the assignment by Clarian to attack Minteegan, he had been frightened of the Forest of Darkness and of attacking the Maggan in their lair deep underground. He had almost shivered with fear when he heard the order. After traveling through the forest, he had gained confidence. Then came the plunge down into the cavern. Having seen the suffering of the night people, he wondered in the deepest part of his heart about the death and havoc he had caused. He could clearly see the ravaged faces of the crushed people, with their strange eyes that wept, just like Karran eyes.

Clarian had given orders to let through a Maggan rider after the attack on Minteegan had already taken place, and the Karran troops were on their way back. It was part of his plan to alert Ferman that Minteegan was under siege, since he would be frantic to try to help his city and would then be most vulnerable to costly mistakes.

The orange flames of the burning Maggan farm fields flared against the deepening black of the falling night. Crowds of traumatized Maggan moved away from the fires to escape the flames that raged as far as the eye could see in every direction. Trees exploded into towering flames, drowning out the collective crying of the people.

The Karran scouts at the edge of the forest spotted a Maggan rider bursting out of the trees, his horse almost dead from exhaustion. A Karran commander gave the order to let the rider through unopposed. It was early in the morning, the sun just gliding up over the ridgeline, but already hot and promising an even hotter day.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

F
erman, his upper arm bandaged, his face fierce with frustration, listened to his officers as they sat beneath several wagons pulled up next to one another to protect from Karran arrows.

“The Karran are trying to slow our retreat back to the forest,” offered Neevan. “But they can only slow us. They can’t stop us.”

Ferman growled, “They’re still attacking us at every opportunity. We’re out of supplies. Our water supplies are low. The stream is fouled.”

“They are slowly pressing us from the south, Ferman,” said a young officer. “But not charging into our ranks. They keep their distance. And now that most of our army is out from under those ridges, our losses are fewer. They don’t want to engage us at close quarters. They know we are stronger.”

“Do we look stronger?” snapped a young officer.

“They want us to run to the forest,” said Ferman. “But not until they’ve inflicted grievous wounds. We’ve been heavily battered. I never expected them to mount such a defense. Who’s commanding their army?”

“Clarian. A young warrior from the Great Grasslands to the west. They say he is the ‘Chosen One,’” said Neevan.

“Chosen One? What nonsense is that?” exclaimed Ferman.

“He wears the violet cloak of the Flamekeeper. He has been seen on the battle field, Ferman,” said Neevan. “He’s a tall young soldier with blue eyes.”

“How would you know what color his eyes are, Neevan?” asked Ferman.

“I saw him up close,” she said, shrugging.

“I want him killed. You hear me! I want him killed!” shouted Ferman, his head swiveling around to look at each officer, scowling.

An officer hurried up. “A rider from Minteegan, Ferman.” The rider, escorted by several mounted Maggan soldiers, reined to a stop outside Ferman’s wagon. He slid off his horse and limped over. Guided by an officer, he quickly spotted Ferman.

“Yes, what is it? We’re busy here,” said Ferman.

“The Karran attacked Minteegan!” he said.

“What!” exclaimed Ferman. The others gasped audibly, and everyone began to talk loudly.

“Be silent!” shouted Ferman. “Go on,” he urged the messenger.

“They rode down into the cavern and burned the entire city and drove everyone out,” stated the soldier firmly.

Everyone in the tent was aghast. A buzz of whispers started, and then shouts burst forth. Ferman held up his hand for quiet, his eyes grim. “When?” he asked.

“Three days ago.”

“They never go into the forest,” offered an officer.

“They did this time,” said the rider.

“The city?” asked Neevan.

“Gone up in flames. The temple, too. They burned the Flamekeeper alive.”

The officers were distraught with the fear that their families had suffered at the hands of the Karran. Ferman slumped in his chair, sighing heavily.

“What about our people? Did they kill them?” Ferman asked.

“Many are dead from the house fires. But, no, there was no slaughter. The Karran burned the granaries and the grain fields. And ran off the horses and cattle. I watched from the forest for as long as I could, then rode here to report.”

Neevan stepped up to rider. “How did you get through the battle lines?”

“No one opposed me. I saw riders off in the distance, but the road was open, and no one tried to stop me.”

“They deliberately let him through,” Neevan said.

Others nodded in agreement.

She continued. “They wanted us to know that they were in the forest attacking our people and our homes.”

They all looked to Ferman, who appeared fatigued. “Even in the Great War, the Karran never entered the forest. They were afraid of it. And they were afraid of the darkness and of us,” he said.

“What’s different now?” asked a white-haired senior officer.

“Clarian, their Karran commander,” said Neevan. “He’s from the Great Grasslands. He’s a horse warrior and archer. He fought the Kobani people, and I am told they are a fierce and daring tribe.”

The rider’s knees gave out, and officers on either side grabbed him as he collapsed, holding him up.

“Take him out and get him some food and let him rest,” ordered Ferman. The officers called to soldiers outside the tent to take care of him. As the messenger was being led away, Ferman was already thinking about what he must do. He couldn’t let the Karran continue to roam and pillage in the forest. He had to push home and respond as quickly as possible.

“They want us to leave, and I believe the attack on Minteegan was to get us to withdraw from their land and return home,” said Ferman. “Very clever strategy. Nevertheless, that is what we must do. We must hurry back to Minteegan and help our people and drive the Karran out of the forest.”

“Could Clarian plan a trick in this, Ferman? Are we underestimating him?” asked Neevan.

“I don’t know. But give the orders to march as fast as we can to the forest. Don’t stop to engage the enemy if you can help it. We must fight our way out quickly,” Ferman ordered.

From the cover of trees Lillan watched the march of the Maggan troops toward the barriers of brush and logs they had constructed across Ferman’s path. The clash of fighting, the shouts of officers, and the cries of the wounded hung over the battlefield. The moon lit the terrain, but layers of smoke and dust made it difficult to see. The Maggan began to bunch up as they approached the brush barriers, wary of some trick by the Karran.

Lillan gave an arm signal, and at once riders dragging pitch-soaked clumps of burning grass behind them set fire to the barricades, lighting up the battlefield and illuminating the Maggan, who had come to a halt before the barricades.

Lillan mounted her horse and rejoined the mounted archers behind a line of scrub trees. She led the way, galloping in single file, bursting out into the open and charging on the far side of the blazing barrier. Drawing their bows back, they shot through the flames into the packed ranks of the now immobile and bunched-up Maggan. She thundered forward with her troops, who fired arrow after arrow into the confused ranks of the enemy. When Lillan’s troops had completed their pass, a second column turned around and rode back again, repeating the deadly maneuver.

The Maggan front line tried to fall back but troops surging up from behind them, on orders from Ferman to push ahead as fast as they could, crowded them. The burning barriers’ crackling and billowing smoke created a bottleneck. The arrows from the Karran sliced in and found their mark. There was little cover or safety.

Neevan galloped her troops through the marching army but had to slow to a fast walk as the army bunched up. She could see the flames ahead and the Karran riding on the far side of the barriers shooting into the ranks of the confused troops. She forced her horse through packs of soldiers to get closer to the action.

An arrow snapped past. She jerked her horse up. She watched, looking for an opportunity to disrupt the attack. Then she signaled to a subordinate officer, saying, “We have to engage them, or they’ll render us helpless.”

“They won’t stand and fight,” said the officer.

Neevan thought she saw her chance. The fire had consumed part of the barricade near her and collapsed into hot, yellow embers.

“We will jump our horses over the barricade there,” she said, pointing. Her officers crowded their horses around her. “After we go over the barricade, we will ride into the ranks of the Karran and intercept them. We’re going to break this up right now! Follow me!”

With a wave of her arm to the troops behind her, Neevan kicked her horse into a charge straight at the weak point in the barricade where the burning logs had collapsed. Her horse tried to shy away from the flames, but she strong-armed him, and he cleared the hot embers in a burst of speed. Following Neevan, the mounted troops forced their horses over the breach in the barricade. With her bow in hand, she fitted an arrow, and suddenly she was alongside a surprised young Karran soldier. Neevan’s arrow buried deep into the soldier’s ribs, and he fell back over the rear of his horse. She drew another arrow and fired at the back of a Karran in front of her but missed.

That alerted the Karran to the presence of the enemy in their ranks. Karran and Maggan rode side by side, shooting at one another. When arrows were exhausted, swords flashed, and lances jabbed back and forth.

Neevan spotted a rider up ahead giving commands. She knew she had a chance now to take down a commander. With one arrow left, she outmaneuvered a lance attack from a mounted Karran who raced past, closed the few yards that remained, drew back the bowstring, and within a moment was within a few yards of her intended target.

Lillan felt and heard the pounding hooves of Neevan’s horse upon her and spun her horse around to face the charge, her long hair streaming out behind her. The two warriors made momentary eye contact with each other. If either of them thought anything about their both being women, it was fleeting and lost in the heat of battle. The arrow buried itself high in the neck of Lillan’s horse. At the same time, Lillan released an arrow at Neevan, but Neevan swung low on the far side of her horse, and the arrow sped past, narrowly missing her. Both riders sped past each other, sprinting by others.

Lillan’s horse faltered and then collapsed, throwing her hard to the ground. As she got to her knees, another Karran rider slowed, reached down with a hand and pulled her up behind him and then galloped off toward the safety of a low hill held by Karran archers. Lillan signaled for the Karran to retire. They raced off the field as the Maggan cheered. The Maggan foot soldiers broke through the breach and poured out onto the open plain, their officers yelling and reforming the lines.

Ferman’s wagon was forced to halt because of the raging fight at the burning barriers. He observed Neevan’s column of soldiers galloping and jumping over the hot red coals of the dying fires as they attacked the Karran and drove them from the field. Upon Neevan’s return, Ferman ordered a soldier to bring her to him.

“Neevan, gather all the horse soldiers you can and break out for the forest and go to the aid of Minteegan. We must help our families at once,” he said.

She nodded. “I understand, but the damage there has already been done. Without mounted soldiers here, we are even more vulnerable.”

“Do as I order you to do!” Ferman shouted, his face dark with anger and frustration. “Why do you always argue? Do it now!”

Neevan saluted and hurried away, exhaustion showing in her slumped shoulders, her face streaked with ash. She called to her officers to gather round, and shortly messengers could be seen riding back into the ranks of the army seeking out horse soldiers and ordering them to assemble near Ferman’s wagon. She ate some food and gulped deeply from a water flask. The din of battle never slackened around her. She was aware that the terrain had opened up, and there was more room to maneuver, and the center of the army was not taking as many arrows as those near the perimeter. She checked her horse. There were no replacements, so it would have to carry her again on the long ride back to Minteegan.

She worried about her mother, but she knew that the Karran had already done whatever they meant to do and that it was likely she would meet them in the forest. At least she would be on home ground, she thought.

Having rushed back through the forest, Clarian sent the horse herd ahead and out of the forest into the waiting hands of Karran handlers, who drove the herd away from the battlefield. Coming upon the Maggan camp near the edge of the forest, where Ferman first gathered his army, Clarian set out his ambush. He ringed the camp with his tired troops, archers, and spearmen on foot hidden in the thick foliage, and they rested under the black canopy, waiting for the enemy to appear. He ordered scores of small campfires to be lit to draw the enemy in and in order to see them better when they came. He left Martan in charge of the ambush and rode out of the forest.

It was not long before Clarian appeared in the main Karran encampment near the front, riding on his chestnut mare, Ruttu, his violet cloak flaring out behind him. Rokkman rode out to meet him. The sun had climbed up into a blue sky, bright and cool, although some dark clouds were building vigorously in the north over the forest. Smoke still lingered over the ridges where the skirmishes continued, and a low constant murmur drifted on the light breeze, the distant sound of men shouting and dying.

Hearing that Clarian had returned from Minteegan, Lillan and Amran with several of their officers rode in to join an impromptu conference. Clarian’s eyes found Lillan’s as he dismounted. A crinkle of a smile crossed his face. He was handed a flask of water as he and a group of about thirty officers all sat on the grass.

“How did it go?” asked Lillan.

“We burned the city and drove the night people out. There were few soldiers to contend with.”

“What of their Flamekeeper and their temple?” asked Rokkman.

“We burned the temple with their Flamekeeper in it.”

“They will hate us until the end of time, Clarian,” Rokkman said sharply.

“They hate us now.”

“And what of Martan?” asked Lillan.

“He and his men are setting up the ambush at the Maggan camp back in the forest,” said Clarian.

Clarian sat silently for a few moments, thinking. “I don’t know with certainty whether Ferman will send a rescue force back into the forest to go to the aid of his city, but I believe he will. They’ll be tormented with fear over what we did to their city and their people. And they will be shocked that we actually dared to go to where they live, when no one in the history of our conflict has gone there before. We have always been afraid of them, and they have counted on that. Now, that’s taken away. I believe Ferman will send his horse soldiers because foot soldiers are too slow, and he’s bogged down here on this battlefield. I think they’ll attempt to break out soon.”

Lillan said, “We fought with their mounted troops last night. They were good. They are also as tired as we are.”

“Yes,” Clarian said. “If and when the mounted Maggan soldiers break out, they will rush headlong for the forest. Lillan, hide your troops at the mouth of the forest until half of their column has entered the trees. Then attack from both sides and cut them in half and deny the last half of their column the forest. Drive them back and destroy them. Let Martan ambush the rest of them at the forest camp. By that time, the enemy will be confused and ineffective, I think. Prepare your soldiers and move them into position right away. We don’t know when the breakout will come, but it could happen any time now. This is where we shatter their strength and break their spirit. In the name of the Flame!”