The Broken Key (02) - Hunter of the Horde (31 page)

Tad was sure most of the horrors that filled the majority of the tales involving the Tower had to be embellished somewhat. I mean, really, was one supposed to believe that demons feasted on the corpses of the necromancer’s victims?

“Swordmaster?” Riyan asked when he failed to reply to his question.

“What?” Tad asked, coming back to the here and now. “Oh, uh, I think so.”

“If we’re going to cross,” Seth said from behind Riyan, “we better hurry.” Behind them the light’s glow that indicated the presence of Durik and his men was steadily drawing closer. “Right,” Tad said. Moving out, he headed directly to the bank of the river and his horse’s hooves were soon splashing in the water as he crossed to the other side with the others following right behind.

The water as it turned out was only two feet at its deepest which caused no problems.

Tad’s horse made it to the other side and he prayed he was going in the right direction as he turned to the right. They had to be downstream of the fork in the river. What they had crossed couldn’t be the main flow, it just wasn’t big enough.

After proceeding alongside the stream for twenty yards, they heard Durik yell from the group of men following them, “Pyck! They’re coming your way!” Then from up ahead further down the stream a second light blossomed into life.

“Damn!” cursed Tad. “They’ve got our flank.”

“Let’s just go back the other way,” suggested Bart.

Tad didn’t like that proposition as it would most likely bring them near the Tower.

Instead, he turned and led them away from the stream. Pushing deeper into the forest, Tad set as fast a pace as the trees would allow.

They continued casting glances back to the two lights. The one that had been following them for so long was angling to move directly towards them while the group to the south remained in such a position as to prevent them from fleeing in that direction.

How many men are back there now? Did the original group split in two or had reinforcements arrived? Tad didn’t care for the latter of the two possibilities, he hoped they had just split.

“How far to the eastern edge of the forest?” asked Chad after forging their way further into the forest for half an hour.

“A hundred miles or more,” replied Chyfe.

“Man,” breathed Chad. The mere prospect of such a journey left him tired.

They didn’t get much further before they encountered another river flowing from the north. Tad came to a stop at the water’s edge and gauged the chance of making it across.

Unlike the small stream they had forded earlier, what was before them was much larger.

“It doesn’t look good,” Bart said from behind him.

“I know,” he replied. Glancing back over his shoulder, he could see the light to the south was no longer moving parallel to their course. Instead, it was now beginning to head directly towards them as if Pyck and his men were now moving along the riverbank.

The light behind them which marked Durik’s presence was closing fast.

Riyan and the others came to a stop beside him. “We don’t have much time,” Seth stated.

The sense of impending doom was growing. Riyan glanced to the river and was unable to see the far side in the moonlight. What he could see of it gave him grave doubts about the feasibility of crossing. “We better head that way,” Riyan said to Tad as he pointed upstream to the north.

North was the last place Tad wanted to go. They were between two rivers which could only mean the fork wherein the Tower lay was to the north. And it didn’t take him long to determine that was the only viable route left to them. It was almost as if their pursuers were maneuvering them in that direction.

“Come on,” he said as he turned his horse to follow the river upstream. If they could move fast enough, they might be able to somehow get around Durik’s group to the west of their position and flee back across the smaller stream. Kicking his horse, he got it up to as quick a trot as the forest would allow. The others fell in behind as he worked his way northward.

It was soon apparent that Durik’s group was no longer moving to intercept. Rather, they were moving north as well, maintaining the distance between them. The one behind them on the other hand, continued to slowly close the distance, again leaving north the only way to go.

Herded forward, as that is how Tad had come to interpret what was being done to them, he and the others pressed onward. “Why don’t they hurry up and attack?” asked Chad after another twenty minutes had passed.

“They’re biding their time,” replied Seth.

“For what?” asked Chad.

Then all of a sudden, the river beside which they had been traveling curved westward abruptly. Tad followed the curve and came to a stop. “That,” he told the others. “That’s what they have been waiting for.”

A clearing began in front of them that extended for some distance. Intermittent beams of moonlight were being reflected from water flowing on both sides. The stream was now close as they drew closer to the forking of the river. Before them rose an imposing tower, the Tower of which Tad had been so afraid they would encounter.

It was at least twice as large as Kevik’s tower, maybe more as they were unable to adequately see it in its entirety due to the darkness. Each felt something, something that was undeniably wrong.

“Look,” Riyan said as he pointed to the tower. “The gate’s open.” In truth, the gate to the tower stood open, almost as if it was inviting them inside. “We would be able to defend ourselves better within its walls.”

Off to the west the light from the main force of pursuers continued moving forward.

From the looks of it, the group was already on the other side of the stream. “They’re moving into position in case we try to flee that way,” observed Chad.

“We don’t have much choice if we wish to survive,” Kevik said. “It’s the Tower, or fight.” Behind them the light from Pyck’s group was growing closer, the sound of voices could now be heard. “Dawn’s not far off,” he said. The eastern sky held the barest promise of dawn’s approach. The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Thwock!

An arrow embedded itself in a tree near Riyan just as other arrows began to be loosed at them. “Go!” he yelled as another flew within inches of his head. Kicking his horse, he raced towards the Tower’s opening and the safety it promised.

As the others followed behind him, the arrows came to a stop. Again, it appeared they were forcing them into the Tower. Why? To attack them while they were within the walls would cost their attackers dearly. In Riyan’s mind it would have been much better to strike when they had still been in the forest. Heading for the opening, Riyan wondered what their pursuer’s plan was.

As the gate neared, Bart looked at the opening and something didn’t feel right. Their pursuers not pressing them hard as they chased them through the forest, a place of refuge just when they needed it. And the final element was that the hail of arrows ceased once they were on their way to the opening. They wanted them to enter the Tower! In Bart’s mind that could only mean one thing.

“It’s a trap!” he exclaimed to Tad. Ahead of them Riyan’s horse had just reached the entrance to the Tower and he was only a few feet behind. Thinking fast, Bart leaped from the back of the horse and hit the ground near the entrance. Rolling quickly, he came to a stop with his back against the wall of the Tower. Looking to the entrance, he saw light spring into being just as the last horse bearing Kevik and Chyfe passed through the gates and entered the courtyard on the other side.

“Stay where you are!” a voice from within the courtyard commanded.

Bart moved to the entrance and glanced inside. A dozen men, half of whom held bows with arrows knocked, were moving to surround Tad and the others. “Damn!” he cursed silently to himself. Then the lights from the other two groups who had been herding them began moving to quickly converge on the Tower. Their trap now sprung, they were coming to finish it.

Bart opened his pack and prayed that neither Durik nor his men had taken his Cloak of Concealment. When his hand touched its fabric, he gave out with a sigh of relief and pulled it forth. Still in the shadows against the outer wall of the Tower, he quickly pulled it on.

The two groups converging on the Tower would be here in a matter of minutes, he didn’t have much time. Removing the rolled leather containing his darts, he pulled the Cloak close about him. Trusting that he was invisible, he stood up and moved into the light coming from within the Tower. Standing in the entrance, he quickly assessed the situation.

The six archers and six men at arms who had been waiting in ambush for them within the Tower weren’t attacking. To Bart it looked like they were waiting for Durik and the rest of his men to join them before doing anything further.

Bart moved into what was a small, walled courtyard. It was barely large enough for the four horses and the dozen men who held his comrades at bay. He hurried to the horse upon which Kevik still sat. On the way he removed several darts and placed them in his left hand. Once there, he laid a hand on Kevik’s leg causing the magic user to start in surprise.

“It’s me,” he whispered and saw Kevik nodded almost imperceptibly in understanding. “Take care of the archers,” he told him. Then when Kevik again nodded, he patted his leg twice and moved over to Riyan. “Get the gate,” he said after laying a hand on his leg to let him know he was there.

Riyan gave him a nod. “You got it,” he said in a whisper.

Then four of the six archers were suddenly encased in Kevik’s goo. Bart immediately shouted, “Attack!” as two darts left his hand in quick succession. The first dart struck the fifth archer before he could loose and fouled his aim. The sixth archer got his arrow off just before being struck by Bart’s second dart. A gasp of pain tore through the courtyard as Tad was struck by the arrow and flew backward off his horse.

“Come on!” Riyan yelled to Seth as he quickly dismounted. “We have to get that gate closed.”

The remaining six ambushers rushed to close with them, their war cries splitting the night. One was struck by a dart before they took their second step. The attacker faltered but didn’t go down.

Chyfe drew his sword as he vaulted off the back of the horse, Kevik remained mounted as arcane words issued forth. Two of the attackers were swept backwards as wind struck them with incredible power. Kevik was surprised by the degree to which he had managed to cast the spell, maybe it had been the burst of adrenalin the situation induced in him that caused the effect. He hesitated only a moment before he began another.

Chad and Soth joined Chyfe as the three unaffected attackers joined with them. Each facing off with one, the clash of metal on metal announced the beginning of the melee. At first scared out of his mind to face off with an opponent bent on his demise, Chad only managed a weak defense.

His opponent would thrust and he would barely manage to deflect the blow aside.

Then another strike to the head which he again successfully blocked. Amazed that he wasn’t dead yet, he realized his Guild training was kicking in. Watch the eyes! How many times had he heard that over the past months? Keeping his eyes locked to his opponent’s, his arm suddenly moved and blocked an attack before he had even consciously realized the blow was coming.

A crackling and popping noise nearby tried to draw his attention away but he kept his eyes locked with his opponent’s. His opponent glanced towards the noise, which later Chad found out was Kevik’s spark spell, caused the man to slow ever so slightly. Seeing his opportunity, Chad struck out and managed to score a minor wound in his opponent’s side.

First blood! He had drawn first blood! A grin came to him as confidence grew. No longer satisfied with merely keeping his attacker’s blade from him, he went on the offensive.

Riyan and Seth arrived at the gate. Less than a hundred feet on the other side, Durik and his men were running all out to reach the gate before it could be closed. Putting their shoulders to it, Riyan and Seth began swinging it closed. In the courtyard behind them, the battle raged as their comrades fought those within the walls.

The gate was large and heavy. Riyan pushed with all his might, Seth did the best he could with his injured leg, and together they brought the door closer to being shut.

Wham!

When the door had only another foot to go, it was struck from the other side. All progress towards closing the door was halted.

“You close this and none of you will get out of here alive!” Durik yelled from the other side.

Riyan didn’t reply, just kept his shoulder against the door and continued working to shut it. For an instant they were able to hold the door against those on the outside. But as more of Durik’s men joined with him in forcing the door open, Riyan and Seth were no longer able to halt its progress. Inch by inch, the gap between the door and the wall widened.

An arm with a sword reached in through the opening which was immediately followed by the head and upper body of one of Durik’s men. The man grinned when he saw Riyan less than a foot away. Raising his sword, he prepared to strike.

The Recruits were holding their own against their assailants, and with the help of Kevik’s spells, were beginning to take them out. Hidden as he was in his Cloak of Concealment, Bart was able to strike and kill from behind which only speeded up the process. He had already taken out the two archers he had struck with his darts, now he was turning his attention to the rest.

Kevik still sat atop his horse as he finished another of his sparks spell. The battle within the courtyard of the Tower was going their way. He was forced to restrain himself from casting spells as the combatants were too intermixed and the risk of harming his comrades was too great. That’s when he glanced back to where Riyan and Seth struggled with the gate. Dismounting from his horse he ran forward to add his strength. When he saw the arm bearing the sword pass through the opened gap, he realized Riyan was in serious jeopardy. Without thought he cast a spell that he’s cast many times before.

Riyan saw the sword appear and then the man’s head a second later. When the man raised the sword to strike, he knew he was dead. Then all of a sudden, the sword and the man’s arm were encased with goo, firmly attaching them to the wall. The man struggled in vain to free himself.