by Sharon Gibbs
‘Alright, lads,’ Jack said. ‘Three on one side and three on the other. Are you ready, Christopher?’
‘Give me a minute. How’s your pain, Frank?’
‘It’s not so bad now.’
‘Are you ready, lads?’ Christopher said. ‘On three we will lift him. One…two…three.’
‘Arrghhhhhhh!’
‘Quick, men, into the house!’
As they carried Frank to the house he screamed out in pain. Henry raced on ahead. Dashing through the door he called to Elle. ‘Help me clear the table,’ he said as they burst through the door carrying Frank.
‘Here, put him down. Christopher, keep hold of him. Hold him down!’ Henry roared at the men who had carried Frank into the house. ‘Elle! Rose! I need linen. Peter! I need two straight planks of wood.’ Peter dashed out the door to fetch them.
Foreman watched the commotion. Why would they need planks of wood?
Christopher could feel his power ebb and he looked at his grandfather. ‘Not yet, Henry.’
‘James, grab Frank’s thigh and hold it for me.’
James stood frozen and stared at Henry. Jack moved in front of the lad and slid an arm under Frank’s upper thigh. ‘Let me know when you’re ready, Henry.’ Accustomed to dealing with injuries such as Frank’s, he took a firm grip on the leg as Henry grabbed hold of Frank’s ankle and shin.
Christopher’s essence returned in a sudden hot burst. ‘Now, Henry! Do it now!’
Jack bore down and Henry pulled Frank’s lower leg out and around to straighten it. Frank struggled, crying out as the misshapen limb was moved. His shrieks churned their stomachs and then he lay still. Beads of sweat trickled from his brow and Elle placed a cool cloth on his forehead.
‘We need to be quick,’ Henry said. ‘Clarence, come here. Christopher, we will need your strength too. All together now.’ Each wizard pushed energy into the man’s body to aid the healing process as Henry pulled to extend the leg and the bones cricked and grated as they scraped against each other back into position. Henry and Clarence supported the leg as Elle braced and bound the limb with strips of the shredded linen.
Checking the bandage wasn’t too tight, Clarence ran his hands over the length of the strapping. ‘Elle, mix a tonic for his pain. He’s going to need it.’
Christopher released his grip on the man. ‘Where did the axe come from?’
‘I’m sorry, Christopher,’ James said. ‘It was with the tools I scavenged after the battle. I thought it a fine axe, and so I brought it home.’
‘It means the Dark Lord has already returned to our realm,’ Clarence said.
‘And what about the fluctuation in our powers?’ Christopher asked. ‘Is that him too, Henry?’
‘I don’t know, son. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. Our magic has always stayed on an even wavelength. But there’s one thing I’m sure of, we can’t stay here. Nor can anyone else. See to your family, son. They need to leave for the Keep. Foreman, I want you to travel with them. Merridy will need your help to tend her husband. If you take the road along the coast you should be safe.’
‘But I have no magic to help the man, Henry.’
‘No, but you do know how to help a lady, and you have knowledge of the Keep. They’ll need it when they arrive.’
‘I’ll organize a squad to go with them,’ Jack said. ‘They’ll be ready to leave first thing in the morning.’
As the news to evacuate spread throughout The Dale, not everyone was willing to leave their home and make the journey north to the Keep. Many spent the night in a flurry as they loaded their wagons and packed for the journey.
Peter and James helped their father, while Christopher and Elle assisted Albert and Rose.
‘Take only what is needed, Rose,’ Albert said. ‘We need room in the wagon for Frank and the others.’ And so the long night continued, and not until the wee hours of the morning did any find time to rest.
Chapter Forty-three
Garlon held the wooden handle clenched in his mouth while his shingle covered wings powered him through the night sky. His fearsome pack swarmed around him, their cries echoing through the dark as they headed north, back to their master. Skylarking above the forest, several of the pack wove through the flock to zip and dart ahead and then with a final cry they cloaked themselves in their tough scaly wings forming a protective cocoon and torpedoed towards the safety of the canopy. Mere seconds before they were engulfed in the foliage, they spread their wings to soar over the tree tops.
Garlon flew at a steady pace. His pack, triumphant, peeled back to circle by his side before zipping off to take the lead. Heady with success and the forest below them, the creatures sped on with the knowledge they could sink into its depths before the first rays of morning lightened the sky.
<><><>
Early the next morning the wagons heading to Canistar were ready to leave, and Rose hugged Elle as they said their goodbyes. ‘Won’t you come with us? It would be safer if you did.’
‘No, Rose. I need to be with Christopher. In my heart I know this is what I’m supposed to do.’
‘Well, be careful,’ she said as she hugged the girl again.
Elle smiled as she drew out of the embrace. She moved to give Albert a kiss on the cheek.
‘My girl, you come home to us safe and sound,’ he said.
‘I will. Could you give my love to my father?’
‘Of course I will, lass.’
Elle left Christopher’s family and wandered over to check on Frank one last time. ‘Merridy, make sure you give him the tonic every few hours. Foreman will be able to assist you, and once you arrive in Canistar there will be others who will help manage his care.’
‘I will, lass. You can be sure I won’t let him suffer.’
‘He will be in good hands,’ Foreman said, ‘don’t worry.’
‘Take care and we’ll see you when we return to the Keep.’ Elle lowered the canvas on the back of the wagon.
‘Come on, Elle!’ Goodwin held the reins to her mount. ‘We’re ready to leave.’
She jumped off the rear step and rushed over to the wagon. With a final wave, their group left The Dale and headed northwest while the remaining carts fled towards Canistar.
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Garlon led his pack into the confines of the forest as morning approached. Safe under the cover of the canopy they raced on. Its pitch black interior was no hindrance as their ruby red eyes viewed their dark haven with perfect clarity. From the pine needle floor they sprang up onto the tall trunks and in a split second their massive paws catapulted them forward, increasing their speed. Talons shredded the thick bark on the trunks and it tumbled to the forest floor as they tore along.
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As the day wore on, Jack shifted in his saddle. The ride north had fatigued him. He’d had little sleep last night and now the plane inclined, heading into undulating territory. The cold winds which had whipped up from the south to harass their journey had died and as they travelled parallel with the Barrobourgh forest the armed force rode alert. They scanned the forest wall in search of movement, any sound which would alert them to the beasts’ return. Jack turned his mount from the front of the cavalcade and rode back along the convoy to speak with the regiment guarding the rear.
‘Men-at-arms, report.’
‘All’s quiet, Captain.’
Jack nodded and he spurred his mare away from the procession to ride in a wide arc as he peeled back to the head of the convoy. As he took to the lead again he pulled alongside his First-Man-at-Arms, Goodwin. ‘We’ll stop and rest soon,’ he said. ‘Take one of the men and scout ahead.’
‘Yes, Captain.’ Goodwin swivelled in his saddle. ‘Archer!’
Goodwin’s best tracker urged his mount forward and slowed as he reached his side. ‘We’re to scout ahead. Let’s go.’ Archer nodded, and they both kicked their horses into a canter and sped up the track.
Elle drove one of the wagons containing supplies. Her horse
was tied to the back and Christopher rode nearby with Peter and James. To the front and back of the cavalcade and scattered along the flanks, the first army of Solencia guarded their group and they pulled off the track where Archer indicated to move into the safety of the rift. On each side of them the hills sloped up towards the sky and provided a haven for them to rest in.
As they pulled to a halt, the caravan dismounted and water was doled out for their mounts. A small meal would have to suffice to appease their hunger as several men climbed the high slopes to keep watch and the camp took their rest.
Elle looked up from her task to see her brother, Goodwin and the wizards gathered. She tended the horse on her wagon before she helped prepare food for all they travelled with. It wasn’t long before Christopher made his way over to Elle. She offered him some Lumebread and cheese. ‘Is everything alright?’
‘All is well,’ he said as he took the food she offered. ‘We’ll make camp further up the road tonight. Tomorrow sometime in the afternoon we should reach the mountains, and we’ll assess our situation once we’re there. Your brother is a fine leader, Elle. He takes his responsibilities well. I’m glad he chose to stay with us.’
‘You know it’s strange. All the time he was fighting, for Alberdez, I never worried about him. I suppose I was too busy dreaming of his adventurous life and worrying about father. I missed the part of his life as he grew from a boy to a man. It’s strange really how one you love can outgrow your simple childhood dreams without you realizing. I’m proud of him, Christopher. To know he is there to protect us all still astonishes me.’
‘I know and I see how proud of you he is. Even though he doesn’t like to admit it.’
Elle smiled and then she yawned. ‘I might take a nap in the wagon before we head off again.’
‘I’ll wake you when it’s time to leave.’
Elle smiled and Christopher leant forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. ‘Sleep well, my love. I will wake you soon.’
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As the pack sped on, the dense cover of the pines came to an abrupt halt. The Meer River sheared the forest in two with its swift current. On the opposite bank the beasts’ haven continued, but while the sun shone the pack was forced to wait under cover until the black of the night returned and they could leap the void. Garlon paced with the axe in his mouth. He whined whilst his pack yelped and snapped at each other. The blue pulse of the axe continued to flash.
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Night returned and the beasts took to the sky to head for the white crusted peaks of the mountains and, as they soared between the snowy white slopes, the air currents howled at their backs, boosting their flight. Diving low to skim over the grass-covered plane, they flew past the boggy mire where the melting snow from the mountain trickled to merge into a shallow pan by the small copse of trees before it then seeped into the valley beyond the tree line and into a shallow stream to the river.
Forced low over the planes, the dusk of morning crept in and the sun cast its first rays over the mountains to set the clouds aflame. Hues of gold, orange, and pink scattered the heavens as they sped onwards, their goal ever nearer, and as they reached their destination they entered the seclusion of the forest. Creeping to its edge, the pack peered out over the clearing and whined with their arrival. Garlon released the axe from his mouth and with a shake of his wings he bellowed out a howl signalling his return.
As the sun lit the earth, the cacophony from the pack woke Zute from his slumber. He stretched and nudged Athena to wake her.
‘They’ve returned. Wake up, my love.’ He flipped back the pelts, picked up his cloak and swung it around his shoulders as he made his way out of the tent. The first light of day lit the campsite and as he stepped out into the fresh morning air the chill cooled his face and he adjusted his cloak. Zute strode across the dew-laden ground as the intermittent light from his axe beckoned him to where the pack waited. He entered the dim interior of the trees and was greeted by yaps from the pack as they dashed back and forth, excited by his presence. And as the dark Lord approached the alpha, Garlon picked up the Lord’s weapon and walked forward, laying the broad-axe at his master’s feet.
‘You have done well, my friend,’ Zute said as he bent to one knee and stroked the alpha’s smooth head. He noticed several dark patches on Gorlan’s wings and reached forward to touch the blackened area. The dark substance smeared on his fingers and he lifted his hand to smell the sooty ash. ‘Wizards!’
Examining the scorched patches, he ran his fingers over the sooty area to find the scales were no longer smooth and slick. ‘So their power has begun to wane,’ he said to Garlon, and then he reached for his talisman. At his touch the light from the axe ceased.
Athena walked up behind her Lord and as he rose the pack gathered around them. ‘So they have brought you your axe,’ she said. ‘What will you do now, my love?’
‘The wizards already grow weak with my return. Soon they will be unable to use their power against me, and I have a surprise for them.’ He smiled as he walked to her side. ‘Come, my queen,’ he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist. ‘There is still plenty of time to rest before plans need be spoken of.’
Chapter Forty-four
Christopher used his legs to urge his mare away from the Barroborough forest and onto the trail leading into the dell. He slouched in his saddle as his back ached from the arduous ride, but at least the throbbing ache in his head had eased. Flicking back the sides of his bottle-green cloak he stretched, easing his cramped muscles in the warmth of the sun, while his mount was content to follow along in the line. Through the hillside they plodded. Their destination, the narrowest part of the range. The passage they sought split through a soaring section of the Granite Mountains and with each mile they travelled their grassy surrounds ebbed, giving way to the rugged towering stone. Emerald moss flourished on the lowest rocks clustered at their base, and Christopher noticed how the larger formations shadowed them in then harshest heat of the day. As he rode between the boulders of soft mossy green, the tallest peaks of the range became the dominant feature in sight.
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Afternoon drew in and lengthening shadows cast the land below the range in an eerie light as the sun’s last rays dwindled from the top of the mountains. Elle made her way into the shade and the cool air off the mountains whipped down to pull loose tendrils of hair from the hood of her cloak. The fresh air tingled her face and she hunched her slim shoulders as she fastened her cloak to ward off the chill in the air.
Weary and ready to cease travel for the day, Jack spied a niche as they approached the entrance to the pass. It was a dry, sheltered cove which would provide them with suitable protection from the dew of the night. He pulled his mount to a halt, and shifting his weight onto one stirrup he lowered himself from his saddle. His first man, Goodwin, rode up to his side.
‘We’ll camp here tonight,’ Jack said as he lifted the reins over his gelding’s head and led his mount towards a cluster of trees. ‘Get some rest, Goodwin. I’ll see to your horse and organize a perimeter guard while you sleep. Christopher will go through the crag tonight, and I want you and Archer to go with him.’
Goodwin tied his mare to a low hanging limb and removed his thick bed roll from behind his saddle. He then walked over and spoke with Archer and Christopher before finding a place to rest.
<><><>
Huddled around the warmth of the fire as the night dew set in, Henry shivered. A rumble reverberated beyond the pass and Jack stood up and stretched as he left the warmth of the fire and stalked over to the opening of the crag. ‘Sounds like there’s a storm on the other side,’ he said and turned, heading back to the warmth of the fire. ‘James, take a few men and make sure the horses are secure. The last thing we need is for them to break from their ties and flee.’
‘It’s no storm,’ Henry said as he dabbed at his meal. ‘The air doesn’t sing with the static a storm brings.’
Elle gazed up at the full moon in the ebony sky. ‘
Jack, there are no clouds threatening to dampen the night. It seems quite clear.’
Jack eyed the old man. ‘Elle, when the warm currents meet with the cool air of the mountains, it’s not uncommon to have sudden thunder storms. I’ve seen it many times on my travels. It may not proceed beyond the peaks, but we still need to prepare ourselves,’ he said and then strode off to speak with his men.
Elle looked back at Henry as he continued to poke at his meal. Reaching forward, he placed his trencher by the fire.
‘Was there something wrong with your food?’
‘No, dear. It seems I’ve lost my appetite.’ He reached up with a wizened hand and scratched his chin through his wiry beard.
That’s unusual, Elle thought and glanced over at Clarence, who was quick to avert his eyes back to his own dish.
Above them the sky flickered with light and the air grew thick as a crack of thunder boomed beyond the range.
Clarence’s fork slipped from his fingers and skittered to the ground as the rocks surrounding the fire vibrated upon the soft earth, and in a low voice he whispered, ‘And when the ground trembled with fear, they could smell the heat of the earth as the Dark Lord sharpened his axe.’ He drew a deep breath, and the faint scent of sulphur tingled his nostrils.
‘Life is running out of time, and time—can disappear in the blink of an eye.’
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Christopher, Goodwin and Archer scouted through the pass as the full moon loomed at its apex. The rugged sides of the crag cast shadows along the path, and jagged rocks littered the route. From some of the mounded piles young saplings sprouted. Their willowy branches, laden with new growth, loomed in the calm between the towering sides of the mountain and as the moonlight shone upon them it turned them silver with its touch. The crag had an eeriness about it. The air was damp, almost stagnant, and the jutted walls cast shadows to hide much from their view.
‘We’ll have to leave the wagons back at camp,’ Goodwin said. ‘There’s no way they’ll make it through here without suffering some sort of damage.’
