Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 (47 page)

As Chad topped the cliff with Kevik in his arms, Chyfe was embroiled with two combatants not ten feet away. Easily blocking their attacks, he deflected one man’s sword to the side. Quickly following through with a thrust to the other, he took him between the ribs. He had to kick out with his foot in order to dislodge the man and barely recovered in time to block an overhand hack by the first. Using the crossguard of his sword, he trapped the man’s blade.

“Finish it!” hollered Chad.

Chyfe glanced back and saw Chad carrying Kevik. With a deft twist of his blade, Chyfe jerked his opponent’s blade from his hands. Then with a well placed kick, broke the man’s knee. A cry of pain was torn from the man as he crashed to the ground.

“Chad! Chyfe!”

Riyan and Bart were riding toward them, each holding the reins of another horse. As Riyan drew near, he saw the state Kevik was in and asked Chad, “What happened to him?”

“Over exerted himself,” he said.

Riyan came to a stop and reached for the magic user. With Chad’s help, Kevik was soon slumped before him on the horse. Chyfe had already mounted one of the spares, and he and Bart were racing for the gate.

Swinging up on the horse Riyan was leading, Chad was quickly in the saddle.

A group of armed men led by the man wearing armor were moving toward the gate. Seth and Soth had their swords drawn and were set to meet them. Behind the twins, the gate stood open.

Bart and Chyfe were almost upon the men. The leader had taken notice of the approaching riders and set half his men to meet them, the other half continued toward Seth and Soth.

“We better hurry,” Chad said to Riyan. Indeed, more and more of the men within the stockade were regaining their feet.

Riyan had one arm around Kevik’s chest while the other held the reins. “Lead on,” he said, then he and Chad began making their way toward the gate. Ahead of them, they watched as Bart and Chyfe raced for the waiting men. Then at the last minute they swerved to the right.

Racing around the men, they bolted for the twins and soon reached their side. “Seth!” Bart yelled, reaching a hand down for him.

Seth quickly sheathed his sword and grabbed Bart’s hand as he came close and swung up behind him. At the same time, Chyfe was doing the same with Soth.

Chad and Riyan were taking a more circuitous route through the stockade on their way to the gate in order to avoid coming close to the leader and his men. When they rounded the building situated closest to the gate, they saw Bart and Chyfe with the twins.

Bart saw them appear and turned his horse toward the gate. Before he could get his horse in motion, a man came out of nowhere and charged with a knife. By the way he was dressed he had to have been one of the wagon drivers. Seth saw him first and kicked out as the man approached, catching him in the jaw.

Then with a cry, Bart kicked his horse in the sides and bolted for the gate. A split second later, Chyfe did the same. Riyan and Chad reached the gate the same time as did Bart and Chyfe and together, they fled from the stockade.

The road leading from the stockade was little more than a dirt path cutting through the hills. Bart didn’t slow until the stockade had disappeared behind them. Even then, he had them keep a quick pace. For he knew that once the horses still in the stockade recovered from the affects of Kevik’s spell, the chase would be on.

“How’s he doing?” asked Bart, glancing back to Riyan.

Riyan shrugged. “He’s alive.” Kevik remained unconscious.

Bringing his horse to a stop, Bart turned around. “See if you can bring him around,” he said to Riyan. “More than likely we’re going to need his magic before long.”

Riyan nodded.

Chad quickly dismounted and moved to help his friend in easing Kevik to the ground.

Bart dismounted, then said to Seth, “Range on ahead. See if you can find somewhere we can acquire more horses.”

“You got it,” replied Seth. Moving forward on the horse, he took his place in the saddle Bart had just vacated.

Soth dismounted from where he had been sitting behind Chyfe and went to his brother. “Here,” he said. Taking the ring which allowed one to communicate magically with the bearer of the other, he handed it to his brother. “This may come in handy.”

Taking the ring, Seth slipped it on his finger and said, “Thanks.”

“You be careful,” Soth warned his brother. “Don’t make me have to explain to father why you didn’t come back.”

Seth gave his brother a grin then kicked his horse in the sides. As he rode off, he hollered, “I wouldn’t do that to you brother!”

Bart watched Seth leave then turned to Chyfe. Indicating the last rise they had crossed, he said, “Go and keep an eye out for pursuit. It’s only a matter of time before they come.”

“Very well,” replied Chyfe and was soon on his way to the rise.

Bart and Soth came to where Riyan and Chad were working to revive Kevik. “Any luck?” Bart asked.

Riyan had Kevik’s healing gem out and was holding it against Kevik’s forehead. The gem remained quiescent. “It’s not working,” he said.

“It may be that he isn’t injured,” suggested Soth. “It could be he’s simply exhausted. We’ve been through a lot with little rest.”

Bart observed their ineffective measures and sighed. Finally, he removed his water bottle, opened it, and upended it above Kevik’s face. No sooner had the water hit the tip of Kevik’s nose, than the magic user’s eyes flew open and he begun sputtering and flailing his arms about. “That should do it,” he said as he restoppered his water bottle.

“Wh…what?” Kevik asked, glancing to the others.

“How do you feel?” Riyan asked with concern in his voice.

“Thirsty,” he said.

Handing the magic user his now half filled water bottle, Bart said, “We were worried about you.”

Kevik took the bottle and drained its contents. When he was done he glanced around at their surroundings. “How did we get here?” he asked.

Riyan summed up what had happened after he passed out on the steps. “…and so, we are about five miles from the stockade with only four horses between us. Seth’s gone ahead to scout for more and we expect pursuit to develop any time.”

Kevik returned the empty bottle to Bart. “Thanks,” he said.

“Any time,” Bart replied.

On the rise behind them, Chyfe still stood watch which was a good sign. How long Seth would be gone was anyone’s guess. Bart just hoped he would have the good sense to stay near the road so they could find him.

“Can you ride?” Chad asked Kevik.

Kevik nodded. “Yes,” he replied. As he started to get up, Chad handed him his staff. With its support, he was able to stand.

Riyan went to his horse and mounted. Then with Chad lending his help, Kevik was able to make it up onto the horse in front of Riyan. “Sleep if you need to,” Riyan told him as he wrapped an arm around his chest. “You’ll not fall,” he replied.

Bart hollered for Chyfe’s return and swung up behind him when he arrived. Chad and Soth rode together on the last horse. “I hope your brother finds more horses,” Chad commented to Soth.

“So do I,” came the reply.

Once everyone was mounted, they again headed west along the wagon wheel rutted dirt path. As before, they maintained a fast pace that covered miles quickly.

When an hour passed and Seth still hadn’t returned, they grew worried. But Soth put them at ease. “If his job was to find horses, he wouldn’t return until he had,” he explained. “Besides, he has the other ring. If you’re worried, contact him.”

Bart glanced to Kevik. “What do you think?” he asked.

Kevik shrugged. “Do it at the wrong time and it may distract Seth at a bad moment, possibly fatally,” he said. “It would be best to continue on as we have until he contacts us.”

“Fatally?” asked Riyan.

“Yes,” answered Kevik. “Imagine you’re in the midst of a sword battle, then all of a sudden you were unable to concentrate. What’s going to happen?”

“I’d get killed,” he replied.

“Exactly,” confirmed Kevik. “That’s why I take the ring off if there’s a chance I’ll be disturbed at an inopportune moment, such as performing magic.”

An hour later, riders appeared on the road behind them.

“We’ve got trouble,” Chyfe announced as two dozen riders thundered toward them.

Bart immediately kicked the sides of his horse and broke into a gallop.

“We’ll never out run them,” stated Chad as he raced alongside. Riding double as they were, their horses could not maintain this speed for long.

“Can you do anything?” Riyan asked Kevik. That’s when he realized the magic user had fallen asleep. Shaking him, Riyan hollered, “Wake up!”

“Huh?” mumbled Kevik as he awoke.

“Riders coming fast,” Riyan explained. “Can you do anything?”

“I think so,” he said. “Stop the horse.”

“But,” argued Riyan.

“I can’t concentrate on a galloping horse,” Kevik explained. “At least not in the condition I’m in.” Though still in a fatigued fog, he felt he could manage to cast a spell or two.

Riyan brought the horse to a halt and turned so Kevik could face the oncoming horsemen. The others brought their horses to a halt and came to stand behind Riyan and Kevik.

Slipping from the horse, Kevik leaned upon his staff as he made ready.

“They’re slowing down,” Chyfe stated.

Indeed, the riders slowed when they realized their prey was no longer fleeing. Riding in the fore was the armored man from the stockade whom they believed to be the leader. As Kevik began speaking arcane words, two groups of five split off from the main force. Moving to the right and left, the leader was dividing his forces so Kevik’s magic wouldn’t affect all of them simultaneously.

When Kevik finished speaking, a yellowish cloud appeared in the road between them and the main group containing the armored leader. He then took up his staff and cast his wind spell, blowing the sleep inducing cloud toward the leader’s group. As the cloud rolled furiously forward, he and his men turned and fled. Four weren’t quick enough and were enveloped. A horses’ brief cry was heard as the riders and their steeds succumbed to the vaporous cloud and crashed to the ground.

“Need to take out more than that,” observed Bart. He had a single dart in hand. It was one of five still in his possession. His other hand gripped the knife found beneath the Ruins of Algoth. Dismounting, he let Chyfe have the horse for he’d be better in a fight without it.

More words of magic issued forth as Kevik targeted the group flanking their right. Having moved at a narrower angle to their position than the group to the left, they were now the closest. When he spoke the last word, another vaporous cloud appeared dead center among the riders. Being among the vapors, they succumbed quickly.

“Was that better?” commented Kevik with a glance to Bart.

“Oh yeah,” he replied with a nod.

The remaining flanking group had disappeared behind a hill to their left while the one with the leader had come to a stop. Three of the leader’s men dismounted from their horses and began stringing bows. The leader and six others remained mounted.

“Kevik,” Chad warned.

Glancing to the bowmen, Kevik said, “I see them.” Then his vision began to blur and his balance grew precarious. Staggering, he held onto his staff as his legs threatened to give out.

Riyan was the first to notice. Dismounting quickly, he moved to his side and snaked an arm around his back for support. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Kevik only shook his head. While he took slow, deep breaths to relax and hopefully bring himself back to serviceable condition, the bowmen put string to bow and fired.

“Arrows!” Soth cried and everyone looked skyward at the oncoming missiles.

“Watch it,” warned Bart. Then as the arrows came to land, they easily dodged out of their way. No sooner had the first three hit the ground, than a second volley was on its way. Again, they looked to the sky to make sure the deadly projectiles would not find an easy mark.

Chad swung down from his horse and came to Riyan’s side. “Use your sling,” he said to his friend. “As long as Kevik isn’t able to function, your sling is the only missile weapon we have!”

Nodding, Riyan relinquished Kevik into Chad’s care and removed the sling from his pack. Just as he was picking three suitable stones off the ground, the flanking group from the left reappeared from around a copse of trees at their rear. They’d been flanked! Racing at breakneck speed, they charged.

With stone in the sling’s cup, Riyan whirled it over his head and released. The stone flew true and struck the lead horse in the chest, knocking it to the ground. As it fell, it entangled two others, bringing them down as well.

Riyan quickly put another stone to sling and launched it at the first of the remaining two. This time, the stone grazed the side of the lead horse causing it to stumble, but it didn’t go down.

“Yeah!” cried Chyfe as he drew his sword to meet the oncoming riders. With reins in one hand and sword in the other, he kicked his horse and charged.

Bart threw his dart and struck the lead rider in the shoulder just as Chad yelled, “Arrows!”

Another flight had just finished topping its arc in the air above and was headed straight for them. Bart saw one coming for him and narrowly dodged in time to avoid it.

“Come on Kevik!” Riyan urged the magic user. He loosed another stone in a rush and the missile flew wide.

“I got nothing left,” Kevik said as he tried to hold onto consciousness.

“Can you stand?” Riyan asked. When Kevik nodded, he swung back into the saddle and drew his sword. To Chad he hollered, “Watch him!” then raced to join Chyfe.

Only one rider was left of the five that had flanked them. The one struck by Bart’s dart had already fallen from his horse, the dart’s poison having incapacitated him. When the remaining rider realized he was alone, he turned and fled.

“No you don’t!” screamed Chyfe. Flying across the ground, he closed the distance fast with the fleeing rider. Before the rider had a chance to get back up to speed, Chyfe was upon him.

Caught up in the thrill of battle, Chyfe yelled inarticulately as he attacked with his sword. The rider tried to avoid the blow but was caught in the shoulder. Such was the force of Chyfe’s blow that it severed the man’s arm from his body. Shrieking in pain, the man was unable to stay ahorse and fell.