Infinite Blue Heaven - A King and A Queen (18 page)

I forced myself to stay on my feet for a few minutes, surveying the scene, before I too fell on the ground, too exhausted to move.

I knew we would have to find water as soon as possible but for a few minutes, I would have to lie still

Geb crawled to my side. “We must have water! His voice sounded hoarse.”

“Yes. I know. That is why I brought us here. See there?” I pointed to the grassy gully.

Geb craned his neck and then ducked down.

“Where those men re?”

“What?” I looked too. Yes. He was right. There were two enemy soldiers, on foot looking at us from beyond the bend in the gully. “Damn. There is water there, I think. We must move forward to that position as soon as possible”

We had reached this advanced position simply because Korim had not expected it and yet still we were almost surrounded and would soon be pinned down. It never ceased to amaze me that no matter how carefully you prepare a campaign, matters quickly get out of hand.

Suddenly I heard the scream of a horse and we all turned and looked back down the line of faces and horses, stretching away into the distance. We saw a horse falling and then thrashing around on the ground. And then it was still.

“Hit by an arrow, no doubt,” said Geb

An arrow thudded into the grassy bank, sloping down in front of us.

“Geb. Go and get Ahmed and Abdil-khan. Tell Abdil to bring twenty of his best men with him.”

Geb took a few deep breaths, then stood up and in a crouch, ran back.

As I waited for them to return, the arrows thudded into the ground around us. I tried to stand for a moment, to get a better view, but immediately had to drop down, as I saw about ten bows train on me.

“What is it now?” said Abdil’khan as he arrived. “Do you know my men are in revolt!” What sort of mess is this you have got us into? His comments were of course impertinent but as he well knew, we were the last men left to defend the country. If we failed, his impertinence would not matter, because I would no longer be King and we would both probably be dead and if we lived, he would be a hero and forgiven. The time for social, or military niceties, had passed.

“They are threatening to make east, for a spring, which may or may not exist, half day’s ride from here. I am not sure I can stop them! I have already shot the ring-leader but the rest are getting louder!”

Just then, Ahmed and Geb arrived.

I could see twenty, anxious faces behind Abdil, waiting for his command. These must be loyal to him.

“Ahmed? See that gully there? It curves to the north and earlier, before we became pinned down, I thought I saw a fox or something slinking away from there. I also saw a few bushes there. The grass seems longer there too. I think there may be water. What do you think?”

“They are possible signs of water, yes. But if there was water there, Korim would be defending it, or would have polluted it long ago.”

“There are some men there. Look. I think we have to get there.”

“Abdil’Khan. You, me and your twenty men, will go and take a look. Geb. If we find water, or one of us, will stand up and wave our sword from left to right. On that signal, the whole column must move to that point and form a defensive circle. Each Battalion will take a half a quadrant, clockwise in order and send out a line of lancers and two lines of bowmen, fifty sachine out, to defend it”

He nodded. “But Sire, You shouldn’t go on this mission. It’s too dangerous. Who will lead us, if you die?”

“Don’t question my orders.”

Just then, shouting broke out down the line.

“It could be my men revolting.” said Abdil’kahn. “They will take many others with them. They do not fear execution for desertion now. They believe we are all doomed.”

I put my head in my hands and pressed my aching forehead. So many woes, all at once.

“Come on then Abdil. Wait here Geb. Be ready to go.”

We half crawled, half ran back to the scene of trouble.

A former Major – I recognised him – was standing with his back to his horse for protection and delivering a speech, imploring men to follow him east. About five hundred men were facing him and perhaps two hundred were imploring their comrades, not to listen. I strode up to him.

Suddenly unsure of himself, he stopped speaking for a moment. Then he turned to me and in a loud voice, said “Sire. We march east to water. If we stay here, there will be no one to defend your Land!”

He saw the look on my face and drew his sword, waving it aimlessly in front of him.

“There is water, just a sachine ahead. At least I believe so. If you are willing to wait just a few minutes, we may be saved.”

The men watched me silently.

“Did you come all this way to give up? Did you come all this way, following me through all those difficult times, just to leave me and follow this Deserter?” Nobody liked the term ‘Deserter’ but I could see, on this occasion, they considered this a reasonable one.

“I have brought us to this spot for a reason. Because there is water here. If you march east now, there will be, what? One thousand of you at most. Korim will see you, separated from the main column and will send two thousand, healthy fresh soldiers against you. They will harry you all the way, or at least until you are dead. You will not stand a chance.”

A few of the men nodded and I could see I had made my point.

“Give me twelve hours. If we have not found water then, we will go east.”

I saw the approval and I turned away and walked back to the head of the column. I heard the Major, sheathing his sword behind me.

“That was brave,” said Geb, trudging beside me.

“Herr! It was necessary.”

As we reached Ahmed, he pointed to the distant mountains, to where the fortress was.

“The gates are open. Take a look.”

Both Geb and I stood up.

We both shielded our eyes from the Sun and stood stock still as several arrows whistled overhead.

There were men going in and men coming out. The men going in looked like farmers and peasants. Then men coming out were soldiers. “There is maybe five hundred of them on horseback and they were coming our way.” We quickly ducked down.

“They will be here in minutes. We must go now. It is as I thought. Korim is attacking us.”

* * *

Chapter Five

We stayed on the high ground, on the opposite side of the gully to the gathering enemy at the site of the bushes, since to go into the gully would mean being exposed but we still felt exposed on the higher ground, in the long grass.

Abdil, being an older man, had stripped off his armour and crawled in the long grass beside me. We got to within perhaps one hundred sachine of the bushes, before the first man was hit by an arrow. We heard his muffled moan but the enemy probably did not.

The enemy were gesticulating wildly with their sword arms and others were moving cautiously towards them from all sides. Through the grass, I briefly caught sight of the horses, riding from the fortress. They were only four or five hundred sachine away.

I stood up. “Charge!”

We rushed forwards, around the lip of the northern end of the gully and clashing with the enemy soldiers. They fought to hold the position for a minute of two, hoping their comrades would reinforce them, but the others were reluctant to engage. I fought one of the tallest men and he grinned grimly at me as we pushed at each other and stumbled in the long grass. He swore and said something to me between gasps for breath. He suddenly seemed to find speed I had not expected and lunged for my lower chest. I only just managed to twist to one side, the blade of his curving sword sliding across my belt and catching on my sheath. My vision was red, from exhaustion and fury, and I simply cut at his neck in a wild, high, threshing motion. Luckily it caught him in the right spot and cut half way through his neck. He fell forwards, trapping my sword beneath his head. And I had to put one foot on his back to withdraw the blade. I looked around, to see how we were doing. Of course, when you are fighting, your peripheral vision is taking in everything around you but your mind is not registering it. There was only one of the enemy still standing, being attacked by two of our soldiers so I wasted no time. I turned to face the front of the Column and waved my sword from side to side. Turning east to face the approaching horsemen, I thought, “This is going to be close.”

I turned back to the column and saw that they were running, some in the gully, some on the sides and would be with us in seconds. But the horsemen were quicker.

Their savage cries filled the air and penetrated to my soul, as their swords flashed down at our necks.

Suddenly, wherever I looked there were horses’ flanks and it seemed as if the horses themselves were wielding the swords. I entered that world, that state of consciousness where all is loud and yet very quiet, where everything is a blur and yet very clear. We seemed to be dancing as I swung this way and that, aiming my blade at a leg, an arm or an occasional head. We were desperately outnumbered, the odds seemed impossible, of even staying on my feet for one more second. But there was a calmness inside me. I thought I could hear a tune and then realised I was humming it. But what was it? I was sure I had heard it before. We danced on and I felt a sharp pain in my neck. Was this it? Was my neck sliced through? I did not have time to wonder so I slashed at another arm. I could feel something warm, running down my neck. I could see the shrieking, wild face of one of the enemy, far above me, looking down at me and bringing his sword through a long curve, aimed at my head. But I could not hear him. I could just hear this familiar tune. At the last moment but, seemingly taking an age to perform the motion, I moved my head to one side and his blade missed me. Then, suddenly there was nothing left to aim for and the roar of battle became more real. I suddenly realised the tune had been ‘The Princess Lay.’

I looked around to find out what was happening. Why had they stopped? I saw the familiar face of Geb just in front of me and I mouthed the word “Why?”

He pointed to the horsemen, riding away north, and then I noticed perhaps one thousand men, surrounding us with only a narrow gap, where the horses were leaving. Of course, the enemy, surrounded, must have realised they could not win and had left. I looked for Abdil-khan. Yes. He was there and I walked over to him. He was laying on the ground, with a lot of blood seeping from his arm, over the cream-colour of his under-tunic. He smiled up at me.

“Like old times eh? That was fun!”

Perhaps once it would have been fun for me but not now. I no longer had the stomach for it. I smiled back at him.

“Not bad for an old man.” Of course Abdil’khan had been on more campaigns than me and was probably fitter. He was only few years older than me too. He was even old enough to remember me, as a dashing young Cadet, before I had even fought my first campaign, before I was even a soldier, being teased by the soldiers in the rank.

“They didn’t forget you, either,” he said pointing to my neck. I felt the wetness there and the cut. It was not too bad.

Suddenly I was too exhausted to stand any longer and I sank down to the ground. Geb stood over me, leaning on his sword. His helmet pushed back on his head. “Geb. Get someone to take the names of all the men who charged with Abdil and I. They are all to get double rations of food tonight and a double wage of grain for the year.”

I smiled at him too and then closed my eyes. Then suddenly, I changed my mind and I got up to face the men, who had fought with us.

I could not identify them but there were many bloody bodies of the dead and a few of the living, around us.

“All those that fought with us; that was very well and bravely done. It will be known as the Battle of the Watery Knoll.”

I lay down again, for a few moments. My eyes closed and I thought I could not open them again. Then with a great effort, I did. I stood up.

I wanted to sleep so badly but I knew I must get things organised before I did. Then I could sleep.

During the battle, I had seen that, in the very end of the gully, there was indeed a small pool of turgid water. I had not had time to really take it in but now I looked down at in in wonder. Was it safe to drink? It looked clean. And there were no signs of dead animals but then there probably wouldn’t be, would there.

“Bring a horse and let it drink.”

An old white stallion was brought up and contentedly slurped up the water, wagging its tail.

“Nobody drinks for one hour.” I wondered around above the pool and suddenly noticed a patch of darker soil.

“Geb, Ahmed. What do you make of this?”

“It has been disturbed.” said Ahmed. “Somebody has been digging here, would be my guess.”

“Call the engineers.” I said. Some of the Quartermasters men were trained engineers and we relied on them for such things as building bridges, siege engines, catapults and the like. “Tell them to bring spades.”

Ahmed was close by and I pointed to the water. “Do you think it will be drinkable?”

He shook his head. “It is poisoned, for sure. What are you going to do?”

“Ahh. Wait and see. Something my Grandfather told me.”