Revelyn: 1st Chronicles - When the last arrow falls (61 page)

‘We must delay them.’ Rema spoke clearly. ‘We cannot travel fast in our search and once they cross the water they will be swiftly upon us.’

‘I will go out to them.’ Reigin spoke quietly. ‘I can take that many with little cause to fear...’ but this time Rema interrupted him.

‘No Reigin, they might have archers and whilst your sword would best them all, a clever bowmen will even the score. We need you here.’ Reigin was unused to such a limit being placed upon him for he was trained to other ways; ways which put him at the forefront of any fight.

‘There is none other here who can stop twelve men.’ He spoke as though it was an indisputable fact.

‘I did not say we stop them, just delay them; and I can do that well enough,’ said Rema coldly, for he did not like Reigin’s tone. They sat and looked hard at each other for a moment; then in an instant Rema leapt swiftly to the ground and threw off his cloak. Taking his bow and two arrows from his quiver he found a place at the edge of the trees and took up position. Reigin was soundlessly at his side, and spoke quietly.

‘They are a league distant Rema Bowman. No arrow can travel that far and hit its mark without great luck.’

Rema ignored him and drew the mighty bow as all in the small party watched in anticipation. Even Ofeigr seemed greatly interested in the outcome of such an impossible act.

Rema sighted down the arrow and took aim upon the leading rider who was confidently but slowly urging his horse out into the river. He held the bow at full draw, the string to his cheek, feet planted wide and side on to his aim. His mighty torso and thickly muscled shoulders held the strain as his narrowed eyes sought out the breeze and judged speed and distance. His breathing slowed and stopped, his heart rate fell away. No one spoke or moved in the slightest. All held their breath and waited under the spell of Rema’s bow.

With a sharp
thwang
the arrow was set free. It went high at the start for the earth would seek to pull it down despite its speed, and only Rema could see its travel for his eyes were on it from the start. He remained unmoving as it flew. Reigin squinted hard for his sharp eyes perhaps saw something of the arrow’s flight.

Whilst Rema had a gift to hear, he also had another gift, and this was far more mysterious, and one which had been with him since he could first draw a bow and flight an arrow. He could bend the path of its flight as it travelled if his mind travelled with it. No other knew this, and he had practised the skill many long days in lonely forest glades high in the mountains of his home until he had mastered the art. He had learnt that if he could travel with the arrow as though in some manner perched upon its tip, and see what the arrow saw, he could by some force beyond understanding, shape its flight until it hit its mark.

Rema smelt the air as it rushed passed his arrow. He felt the rapid spin which the three grooves along the shaft imparted. Half way across the league which separated him from his target he sensed the flight was wide to the left and he willed it back on course. The arrow curved back until Rema saw the rider now thirty paces from the bank and almost where the water flowed fastest. The arrow was slowing now, for a league was an almost impossible distance to cover. As it slowed, the deadly energy it possessed died too, but Rema knew there was enough. The arrow dropped a little low and so with all his concentration he willed the shaft back up and then it was done.

The rider never heard or sensed the deadly shaft which travelled so swiftly to him. One moment he was confidently guiding his horse across the water and then as if by magic an arrow appeared in his right shoulder. He saw it before he felt the force of it, a mighty blow which knocked his upper body back. He caught himself a little but began to slide off his saddle to his left side. He tried to use his right arm for that hand held the reins, but he had lost the use of that limb. With a cry he toppled off into the water and was swept away, just his head above the water surrounded by a sudden spreading red stain which quickly vanished.

As soon as he was sure his target was down Rema took a deep breath and spoke to Reigin without looking in his direction.

‘Let us see then if such luck will hold.’

He smiled and drew once more. His second arrow was loosed before those watching had much chance to comment on the fallen rider. They had seen nothing of the first arrow’s flight, but had seen it appear as if my magic buried in the rider’s shoulder. They saw him fall into the river.

‘By the gods, what shooting is this?’ Scion muttered in amazement. Ofeigr just smiled broadly, but was clearly impressed. Serenna nodded as though she knew something. Reigin had seen more than the others and was deeply impressed for he alone seemed to know that the arrow had moved in its flight like no other arrow he’d ever seen. It was as though the arrow became a hunter with a mind of its own. Rema’s words stung his ears as the second arrow travelled as truly as the first.

Two arrows, two men down and none of the other pursuers had any idea who had fired upon them. They gathered on the far bank of the river and cantered in several directions at once before abandoning the pursuit and went off to rescue the wounded men who might live to tell the  fact of it, but not the how of it.

Rema gathered his cloak, mounted and addressed his small band.

‘They will soon be after us once more. I do not wish to lose more precious arrows. We ride on now. I have the directions but when we find what Freiers has marked on this simple map, I cannot tell what will befall us. Reigin take the rear and keep watch. There are ten left who can fight and in this forest will be a match for us.’ And with that he rode off at a canter along a path which seemed well worn but overgrown in many places as though perhaps it had fallen into disuse. The others followed and they quickly moved deeper into the forest, and ever close to the towering cliffs.

Within a span they were blocked. Huge rocks and boulders the size of haystacks lay where they had fallen from high up on the escarpment.  The path travelled through the jumble of fallen stone and only with great difficulty was Rema able to follow it, at times having to skirt around and over the tangle of fallen and crushed trees, and loose and unstable rock falls. Their journey was slow and they all knew that they left an easy trail to follow. Any pursuit would not be difficult. Time was running out.

Finally they arrived at a strange cleft in the very cliffs themselves. Rema looked carefully at the simple map.

‘This looks right. There should be some markings on either side...’ He had hardly finished when Ofeigr gave a cry.

‘Over here Rema, this is clearly placed by human hands.’

 They quickly dismounted and gathered around this new discovery. It was an ancient carving chiselled out of the rockface itself.  It was well weathered and had lost its sharp edges but sure enough they gazed upon an effigy of an eagle, talons spread and hooked beak jutting proudly forth.

‘The eagle is the symbol of the
Edenwhood
,’ Rema whispered. ‘Freiers has noted this here on the map.’ He pointed it out, but none needed any confirmation. They all knew that they had found what they had travelled so hard to find. They were at the end of what the map could tell them, for Freiers had never gone past this point.

They tethered their horses and explored the cleft which ran some dozen paces into the escarpment over sandy ground. The rear wall was flat and smooth, unnaturally so for on examination it could be seen that human hands had shaped it thus.

‘If what we have been told is true then, we stand before a door which no ordinary man has ever broached.’ Serenna spoke in awe. ‘We continue at our peril.’

‘But we continue nonetheless,’ said Rema firmly. ‘We cannot go back.’

‘What then is the secret to this unseen door?’ asked Scion as he rubbed his hands over the smooth stone, for I can see no clue as to our finding it, far less opening it.’

‘Except for that hole in the rock above you Scion, that is the clue you miss.’ Rema directed their gaze to a round hole high up where no ordinary man would think to reach. ‘Remember,’ he continued, ‘this door was made by the
Edenwhood
; they are far taller than we. And we have a key Scion, without which we would never have undertaken this journey.’

‘A key?’ Scion’s amazed reply was for all the others. Except Serenna.

‘Freiers returned with it after he had left us that night, and you were all asleep,’ Rema explained. ‘You might remember that the
Edenwhood
woman he married, Cygnia was her name; she was taken back to her own people through this very door. Freiers told me that all
Edenwhood
carry a key to the door for they are free to come and go when they wish. But only their key will open it, and in her distress at leaving her husband and her child, she gave the key to him. He did not know why. He kept it as a memory, but he gave it to me for saving his son, and Serenna has carried it in her saddle bag.’

No one spoke, for Rema’s words meant they were on the threshold of a magical place, and such things had long been feared in Revelyn.

‘Get the key Serenna.’ Rema spoke quietly, and she obeyed without a word. The key was no more than a solid length of iron, upon which an intricate pattern of spirals and swirls could be discerned. Rema took it and approached the smooth rock face. He reached up toward the hole above and as he did the key began to glow as though it recognised where it was. The hole too emitted a light which matched the key, but as Rema went to insert it, he let out a cry and dropped it to the ground. The glowing immediately ceased.

‘What is wrong Rema?’ Serenna inquired, for his cry was one of pain.

‘It burnt me,’ he replied, ‘rubbing his hands together for some relief. ‘At least for a moment it was too hot to hold.’

At that moment Reigin hushed them all to silence.

‘Listen my friends; I think our pursuers are drawing near.’ They all froze and listened carefully. Sure enough there was a faint calling in the forest and the sounds of rough and heavy footsteps. The whinnying of a horse travelled clearly to them.

‘Quickly then,’ Rema ordered. ‘Bring the horses into the cleft, and Scion, Reigin and Ofeigr will guard the opening. Serenna and I will try the key once again.’

Within a short space all the horses were led into the cleft, and the three men stood at the entrance with swords drawn, waiting to defend their position. Ofeigr had a strong and fierce light in his eyes as though he welcomed the coming battle. Scion had armed himself with a sword, but also carried a large club for his massive strength would easily knock an armed man and his weapon headlong if given the least chance. He too showed no fear, and Reigin was not in the least alarmed for in truth he was in his element, facing a superior force, in the forest, his amazing abilities the match of any who would stand before him. Only Rema was concerned for he knew that if there were archers coming against them they would be in mortal danger. Even a
Wolver
could not easily avoid a well aimed arrow. He knew that only too well.

He took the key and tried once more to open the hidden door, but this time the burn to his hands was more than before and he knew immediately that some deep force would not allow them to pass. Serenna saw it too, and they stood in despair wondering what next to try.

‘There is no way ahead unless this door is opened and only the key will do it. What can be amiss?’ Rema spoke his thoughts out loud. Serenna was at a loss to think of any solution.

Suddenly Reigin appeared. Give me the key Rema. I am taller and can reach more easily, perhaps I can have it in before the burning is too much. I have learnt to bear more than most. He did not say this in any manner to cause offence to Rema who was in any case glad to try once more at some new plan.

Reigin took the key and reached easily up to the hole, as though it were the perfect height for him. The key and the hole glowed in anticipation of a union as before, but to the amazement of those who watched, Reigin slid the key easily into the hole with no apparent discomfort.  Immediately there was loud crack, and the outline of a huge door appeared in the smooth rock. Reigin instinctively pushed for there was no handle on which to pull, and the massive door swung inwards revealing a large passage of some considerable height.

‘Well done Reigin,’ Rema cried, ‘now gather the horses and let us enter.’

At that moment the sounds of the approaching enemy came loudly to them, and someone close by cried out.

 ‘There they are. Over here, man and be quick about it. We have them trapped! ’

The five companions led their nervous horses into the dark passage just as several armed men appeared at the mouth of the huge cleft in which the mysterious door was hidden. They stopped in amazement at what they saw, and stepped back in incredulity when they realised that facing them was a huge
Wolver.

Reigin smiled and performed a series of awesomely quick and impressive false lunges and swipes with his great sword. The eye could not quite make out the blur of movement, such was the speed. He stopped and spoke to those who once were his allies.

‘Go home men; for you cannot follow us here, and I do not yet want to kill any of you, but that might easily change should you step closer than you are.’

As Reigin spoke, a single arrow shot from behind the swordsmen flew with deadly intent towards him. It passed between the soldiers and with reflexes which defied belief Reigin caught sight of it, tracked it, and with the blur of his sword stopped it in mid flight before his heart.  It fell useless and broken to the ground.

The pursuers were speechless, and looked at each other wondering what they should do. None had the courage to cross swords with the
Wolver
, for they knew that meant certain death, so they stood helpless as Reigin walked backwards into the passage and reaching up removed the key from the glowing hole which held it. Immediately the great stone door swung shut and with a final crack sealed an impassable barrier between the two groups.

Those who stood speechless outside saw the outline of the door fade until it finally disappeared altogether, and they were alone. After a time one of the braver men found words for them all.