The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear (62 page)

“Here is the junction with the road to Garstang. A few miles down

is a small path that leads up to Elmshill. Their camp is in the ruins

on the main hill. They’ve posted sentries, here, here, here, here and

here.” The scout pointed each of them out with a stick. “Each group

consist of three men and there is a group of two making the rounds.”

“As you can see a capital mistake,” the baron took over. “By trying

488

Andrew Ashling

to control a terrain this large, he not only had to spread his men out

in small groups, but he has positioned them in such a manner that

they can’t be of any use to each other. We’ll take them out one by one.

Two groups of seven men each to eliminate sentry posts of three

men. What could be easier?”

The men smirked full of confidence at their captain.

“Two things,” Damydas resumed. “Not one of them must stay

alive, let alone escape. Second, the blond cocksucker’s ass is mine.”

The men had understood him clearly and laughed loudly. The

baron joined in.

“You know me, men, I’m not the greedy kind. After I’ve tired of

him, his ass is yours as well. I’m afraid it won’t be a tight fit anymore,

however.”

Most of the Black Shields thought this was very funny. Not a few

of them also thought it was something to look forward to.

Emelasuntha had once again called off the attack. The Tribe had

managed to eliminate a further eight Black Shields, who were now

almost halved in numbers. They themselves had lost another five

Tribesmen, which meant the scales were tipping in their favor.

“Damn it, by the Great Goddess, it just isn’t enough,” Sobrathi

raged. “They can block us here for hours still.”

“We have the upper hand. We’ll get through eventually,”

Emelasuntha panted, her bloodied sword in one hand, hanging down

beside her horse.

“Eventually doesn’t cut it, dear. We must get through as fast as

possible. Damydas could be in Elmshill by now.”

“He’s bound to send out scouts first. That takes time. But you’re

Bonds of Fear

489

right, this takes too long.”

The queen looked at her men, resting by the side of the road, just

staring out before them or bandaging wounds, their own or that of a

fellow Tribesman.

“They’re getting tired. We’re slowly grinding the Black Shields

down, but still our men might get discouraged before we’re finished.”

Sobrathi looked at the stretch of road between them and the

enemy, then sideways. On both sides of the Highway ran a broad

creek, hard to cross on horseback. On the other side of the water

the terrain was difficult. Dry, thorny bushes grew out of soil littered

with potholes and rocks. It would be torture for the horses — almost

impossible to ride on.

“Emelasuntha, dear,” she said, turning to the queen, “I have this

little idea I want to run by you.”

490

Andrew Ashling

It was over in minutes.

Riding at full gallop Damydas and his Black Shields turned from

the Highway into the road to Garstang. From his hiding place at the

end of the hidden path Brunnac saw them passing by. As soon as he

had recognized them, he started running to warn the others.

At the road that led to the main hill, the Black shields spread out

in three separate groups. Damydas and his men rode straight ahead.

Soon they heard behind them the noise of a brief skirmish and the

dead cries of several Tribesmen. A satisfied smile formed on the

baron’s face.

At the foot of the main hill stood a small wood. There they

dismounted and with drawn swords started to mount the slope.

They heard, rather than saw, several men running in the directions

of the first skirmishes.

Meanwhile Brunnac had reached Eymar, who was tying up three

horses in the little open space near the beginning of the hidden path.

Out of breath he told him what he had seen. Without hesitation they

too started to climb the main hill, from the other side.

At the top of the hill, Grunwell and Jerruth had heard the racket

made by clashing swords and the cries of mortally wounded men.

Grunwell had drawn his sword. Jerruth, all blood drained from his

face, looked around as if trying to decide from where the danger

would come.

Bonds of Fear

491

“Your highness, you stay here while I go investigate. The men

know they should gather here. Soon some of them will get here. If

nobody has come within the next minutes you do as we agreed. Run

down the hill and get out of here. Don’t look back. Wait for nobody.

Save yourself.”

Jerruth hesitated.

“No,” he said finally, “I’m coming with you.”

He drew his sword as well.

“Your highness, no, please, do as we agreed.” It sounded pleading.

“We didn’t agree anything, Grunwell. I’m coming with you. I’ll

feel safer, I’ll be safer with you.”

Grunwell looked deeply unhappy.

“Your highness, please, I would really feel more at ease knowing

you had gotten away unseen.”

He got no answer.

“Please, Jerruth,” he whispered.

“No, Grunwell, I’m not leaving you.” He smiled faintly. “Don’t

make me order you,” he added softly.

The big Tribesman saw the boy wouldn’t budge from his decision.

“Very well, but stay a few feet behind me.”

Looking right and left they slowly descended the hill. They had

almost reached the small patch of trees, when seven Black Shields

appeared from between the woodworks. One of them, his sword still

in his hand, took a few steps in their direction.

“Good afternoon,” he said. “I am Gerrubald, Baron Damydas,

captain of the Black Shields. By appointment of his Glorious Majesty,

Tenaxos I, High King of Ximerion, I am also authorized to call myself

492

Andrew Ashling

Autarch of the Northern Marches.”

He paused, then broke out in a charming smile and looked at

Jerruth.

“His Highness, Prince Anaxantis, I presume.”

Jerruth took one look into the eyes of the baron and knew that

he had lived.

Bonds of Fear

493

494

Andrew Ashling

Chapter 14:

What Makes a Prince

Two groups stood in formation to attack each other, blocking the

Northern Highway.

The remaining twenty one Black Shields, although outnumbered

by now, were too disciplined to show any sign of concern, let alone

fear. The Tribesmen of Mekthona on the other hand, although by

now with twenty seven survivors in the majority, seemed to have

some difficulty to keep their horses standing still.

Emelasuntha addressed several men individually. One by one

they lined up in front of the group, seven next to each other.

Xirull looked with attention at his opponent.

“What is she doing? Is she preparing another attack or just putting

her men at ease? And what is happening over there?”

He called one of his men.

“Your eyes are better than mine,” he said. “Are some of them

leaving their formation?”

The man squinted his eyes.

“In all appearance some of them are leaving the road, sergeant.

They’re behind the bushes on the side now.”

Bonds of Fear

495

“The terrain doesn’t permit fast riding. There is a creek that’s far

too wide to cross easily. Why? Why are they leaving the road?”

He signaled another man.

“You, dismount and go look whether they are crossing the creek,”

he ordered.

“She can’t be foolish enough to think I would let them pass.”

It took a while for the Black Shield to return.

“Sergeant, five have crossed the creek, and I saw one crossing it,

wading through it, leading his horse. I could at least see four of them

waiting their turn.”

“Damn that woman. She can see as well as I do that the terrain is

too hard on the horses. Does she think that we won’t be able to cross

the creek in time to stop them? She has five men on the other bank

already. That could be enough to prevent our men from climbing out

of the creek.”

“That witch is trying to steal a march on us, before our very eyes,”

he shouted. “Cross the creek as quick as possible. If her men get there

before we do, we’ll be stuck on this side. They only need a few men

to keep us from climbing the other bank. The rest could be going the

Gods know where.”

He ordered five men to stay to ford off any possible attack by the

seven Tribesmen that were still blocking the road. He was the third

to jump into the creek.

Emelasuntha and Sobrathi were waiting behind the bushes. Ten

Tribesmen had crossed the creek and were making their way in the

direction of the Black Shields, who in their turn were crossing the

water in groups of three. One of the Tribesmen turned around and

made a sign. He held his left arm before his breast and raised his

right hand, fingers spread.

496

Andrew Ashling

“Five have crossed,” Sobrathi whispered.

The Tribesman made a fist and spread his fingers again.

“And another five.”

Pointing at the creek, the Tribesman again made a fist and then

held up three fingers of his right hand.

“Another three are crossing,” Sobrathi said. “This is it, dear. Let’s