Fall of a Kingdom

by Michael Greenfield

  I was worried that you would be unable to train as I might wish with what has happened recently, although Dorrin and Collett have already begun taking you through the basics of swordsmanship. What I was ignoring was the fact that in our little group we have some of the finest potential teachers in the kingdom at their chosen vocations.

  You’ll be glad to know that as of now you will not be involved in any of the usual scavenging for wood or food that you would normally be required to do as part of pulling your weight as we travel, but rather you will be set lessons by each member of the group, myself included, on weapons, strategy, magic, trade and anything else we can think of.”

  Cal was not at all sure about this, but Dorrin had a bright smile on his lips. “That’s great.” When the others looked at him slightly baffled he continued. “Not that I enjoy hearing the sound of my own voice, but I will thoroughly enjoy teaching Cal in whatever I can. Besides which, if I’m teaching, then I can’t be expected to scrounge either, can I?”

  All five of them laughed at that, causing several of the others in the hall to turn and stare, but they ignored them. A pointed cough from the doorway broke the merriment. Tamala stood staring at them with an extremely distasteful look on her face.

  “Someone could have warned me that soldiers get up almost as early as you do Master Farsighter. So much for the lie in that I was looking forward to this morning.”

  Farsighter didn’t miss a beat with his response. “My Lady, if you had but asked, I would have been more than happy to pass along that piece of information.” To Cal’s observation, this appeared to infuriate the young Lady even more.

  “Humph!” She turned on her feet and stormed out of the hall.

  “I suppose that this would be a bad moment to bring up the subject of her becoming a teacher?” They all laughed at Luda, who couldn’t suppress a wicked grin.

  Breakfast passed quickly as they joked amongst themselves about various aspects of court and country life. Cal was surprised that none of them mentioned anything further about what they faced. As they made their way back to the barracks he brought the fact up with Collett.

  “It’s pretty common on the eve of battle, or in our case, leaving friends and family behind to travel to distant lands without the comfort of knowing that you’ll return safely.

  If you ask around I bet that most of the soldiers here are talking about almost anything but what could happen in the next few weeks. Maybe some of the newer recruits, but the older troops will be discussing things like the coming harvest, or when they hoped they were going to get leave to visit the family.

  It’s simply a case of why worry about something that you can’t change. Worrying will only make it worse for you when you finally face the enemy.”

  “But surely the officers will be discussing plans?”

  Collett smiled in a fatherly manner. “They get paid to worry. Most of them won’t have got much sleep last night whilst they planned supplies and movement details. In fact many of the officers will actually get more sleep once they are under way than they will for the next few days as they organise joining whatever’s left of the army.

  You forget Cal that most of these men are plain country folk like yourself. They’ve brothers and cousins who have already put in a good few hours work today on the fields and tending the herds. That is the reason these men fight, not through loyalty to the crown. During quiet moments I dare say that their thoughts stray to their loved ones, but such thoughts aren’t for common gossip, so they talk about other things. Things that make them happy.”

  Cal looked thoughtful as they made the last few strides to the entrance to their billet. “I suppose that I never thought of it like that. It’s not quite what I imagined.”

  “War is never like most people imagine, for that’s what we have upon us now, a war. To be honest I have mixed feelings about leaving the army to fight whilst we travel east. I know that we have to rescue Her Majesty, but the army is in disarray at the moment, and I fear that by the time we return we might face an uphill struggle to regain all that is lost during the time we are gone.”

  Both men quietened as they entered the barracks hut.

  Shouting from outside drew Cal’s attention from the first of the lessons that Dorrin was giving him on the various coastal kingdoms and their political structures. After a moment even Dorrin became distracted enough that he sighed heavily and went to the window to see what was happening. Cal joined him immediately and they were both in time to see the smaller door within the main gate swing open and admit two figures.

  “Rangers?” Cal looked at Dorrin as he asked the question.

  “Unless you can think of anyone else stupid enough to be running round a countryside full of Shalers.”

  Cal grinned. “Apart from us you mean?”

  Dorrin’s glare showed that he didn’t find the answer funny. “We’d better go and find out what’s happening. No doubt the others will be there quickly enough.”

  They left the room and made their way out to the yard where Farsighter and Collett had indeed beaten them to the returning scouts. Dorrin broke into a jog in his anticipation of news from the outside, forcing Cal to do the same in order to keep up. Farsighter, Collett and the Ranger captain, Kaf, who Cal had met earlier that morning, were all in conversation with the two returned scouts when they reached them. Collett acknowledged their arrival with a slight nod of his head, whilst the others continued to listen to the report.

  Both of the men looked tired, but neither complained at the need to tell of everything they had witnessed during their patrol without being allowed time to get some food or a rest. Cal noted the fact that their packs were considerably smaller than the ones that he and the others usually carried. Both had short bows and a sword, as well as a hunting knife tucked into their belts.

  Their clothes were similar in colouring to the cloak that Farsighter had worn upon occasion. A collection of greys and earthy browns, something that Cal now knew to be very effective for hiding the wearer equally amongst foliage and on open ground.

  The slightly taller of the two, just short of Cal’s own height, was doing most of the talking. His grimy face revealed dark eyes and a prominent nose that was decorated by a thin scar that ran from his right cheek, across to the left edge of his mouth. His head had been covered by the hood of his cloak, but that had been pushed back to reveal long, shaggy dark brown hair.

  The other member of the pair could not have been a greater contrast. Short, with sandy blonde hair that was almost white, his pale eyes and skin almost made him look albino. He was easily a good six inches shorter than Cal and even Tamala was able to look him in the eye.

  Cal stopped his silent appraisal of the two Rangers and returned his attention to what they were actually saying.

  “Almost everywhere you go west appears to be in Shaler hands. Southward I would say that there is still some fighting going on round Holdur, the patrols to the north of the town appear erratic, but as soon as you get close to the town itself the patrols become heavier and more organised.”

  Dorrin looked slightly puzzled. “How is it that you were able to scout as far as Holdur and return so quickly? We only brought news of the attack yesterday.”

  Kaf grinned at him. “Friend Dorrin, my men hold constant patrols at all times. It’s just coincidence that these two happened to be returning from the area of which we are interested. Good fortune some would say.”

  Dorrin returned the grin. “I’ll take good fortune wherever I can get it. How close are the patrols to Riversmeet?”

  The dark haired Ranger thought about it for a moment. “The closest was down at the old ford, about two days west of here. I’d say we’ve probably got another couple of days before they’re in this area in strength.”

  Farsighter and Collett exchanged glances. “In that case gentlemen, I believe that we should be on our way at first light tomorrow.” Dorrin nodded at Farsighter’s decision. “Kaf, how many Rangers can you spare at a day’s notice?�
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  “Six to eight. Most of the rest are still on patrol. We might see one of the patrols back tonight, that might free a couple of others up, but I wouldn’t place any bets on that.”

  Cal looked nervously at the others. They were originally planning on waiting a few days for the Rangers to return, but now they would be heading north with less than half the planned number of troops. All of a sudden the heroic images he had secretly held of what they were doing came crashing down as he met the reality of conflict head on.

  Whatever plans they had were now going to be rapidly revised.

  “Kaf.” Farsighter caught the captain just as he was about to follow the two Rangers back to their billet for a more detailed discussion.

  “Magron?”

  “Tell those that are going with us to saddle some horses.”

  The sturdy captain looked hurt. “Are you sure?”

  Smiling, Farsighter replied. “I know it’s not the normal way we do things, but we won’t have time to waste avoiding the forward markers of an advancing army. We’re likely to lose enough time once we cross into M’Ur as it is.”

  “You’d have thought that they would have cleared up that little difference of opinion by now.”

  “Diplomats clearing up differences of opinion, you’ll be expecting them to be honest with each other next.” Both men laughed as they headed back toward the billet. Cal suddenly realised that he was being left alone in middle of the parade ground. Without another word he headed back to the room where Dorrin had been holding the lesson. He almost groaned out loud when he found the young man patiently waiting for him, ready to continue the lecture.

  The following morning found Cal surprised at the number of troops already up and about before dawn. He wouldn’t have been himself if Farsighter hadn’t unceremoniously dumped him out of his cot whilst he could hear muffled curses from the room next to theirs, where Dorrin and Luda were sharing.

  Scrambling into his clothes, he quickly made his way to the entrance of the hut and stared across the parade ground in the faint gloom of the false dawn. Activity appeared pretty much everywhere that he could see.

  Farsighter was making his way across to the stable, chatting briefly with those that he met as he crossed the yard. Cal also noticed that he had his pack and weapons with him, a fact that caused Cal to spin round and head back to their room where he scooped up his own pack. He placed it on his unmade cot and then bent to retrieve the sword and scabbard he had been using for Collett’s lessons. It felt awkward buckling the belt of the scabbard around his waist but he reasoned that he would soon grow accustomed to the added weight.

  He looped the strap attached to the oiled leather wrap that contained his bow over his right shoulder, so that the bow itself crossed his back down to his left hip, and fixed his quiver just behind the right one. As he picked up his pack, he suddenly realised that he really didn’t have anywhere about his body that he could place it without interfering with some item of weaponry.

  He thought about it for a moment, before deciding that this was something that he would have to ask Farsighter about. He moved swiftly from the room and back outside, heading straight for the stable where he had seen Farsighter going.

  He half expected some of the soldiers to laugh at him as he passed, but none of them did, although several greeted him. He felt slightly cheered by the fact that no one made fun of him as he strode to where Farsighter stood by the side of one of the horses they had used to get to Riversmeet.

  The ex-Ranger was carefully inspecting each horse in turn, making sure that they were all fully rested after the dash from Holdur, and that there were no surprises in store for them after they left the garrison later this morning.

  As he reached the stable, Cal saw eight other men similarly checking mounts. Every single one of them was dressed in the garb of the Rangers. Dull colours covered every part of their clothing and even the hilts of their weapons, though Cal noted that none of them carried a bow.

  Farsighter nodded as the youngster approached. “Good to see that you brought everything with you.”

  Cal couldn’t tell if he was being made fun of or not. “I saw that you had your pack and sword so I thought that I might as well bring mine as well.”

  “I suppose that’s one way to learn. We’ll be moving as soon as we’re ready. We’ll break fast as we ride, so make sure that you get some cheese and bread from the mess before we go.”

  Cal nodded his understanding. “Farsighter?”

  “Yes.” The older man waited expectantly.

  “I’ve got all my arms placed about me as I’ve seen others do, but by the Gods where do you put your pack when we’re on the move.

  I mean, we wouldn’t usually use horses so where do we fit it all.”

  Any reply was interrupted by a deep voice behind them. “That’ll teach you to recruit an archer Old Wolf.”

  Both spun round to see one of the Rangers that had been tending the horses stood grinning. He held out his hand to Cal. “Byron Samms, but you can call me ‘Sergeant’.

  Taken aback, Cal reached out and took the sergeant’s wrist. “Calmagyr Ironsson.”

  “I know. Saying that, everyone in the camp knows.” Cal looked at him puzzled. “Your friend Dorrin made quite a show of telling us all about how you saved his life on the road to Holdur. I’ll be more impressed when I see that skill for myself.”

  “Don’t let Samms get to you,” Farsighter cut in, “he’s only jealous because the last time he used a bow he shot his own foot.”

  All three laughed before Samms replied. “Not quite, but there again, not that far from the truth either.

  To answer your question, you’ll find very few Rangers carrying a bow. Usually we don’t like to advertise our presence until we’re sure that we’ll win, and letting the enemy know you’re there from a hundred yards doesn’t always fit the bill.”

  Cal thought about that for a moment before Farsighter spoke. “On the other hand, it’s always useful to have some covering fire if it all goes out the window. Those of us that do carry bows tend to hang them from the pack itself.

  That way it’s out of the way whilst you move, but still within reach if you need it in a hurry.”

  Cal bobbed his head in understanding before turning his attention to the horse that he had rode into Riversmeet. The chestnut mare was stood calmly, almost as if she was waiting for him to place the saddle across her back and begin loading his equipment.

  He decided that he should keep his sword belt on, but the rest of his things should be placed on the horse. As he checked that everything was evenly distributed so as not to cause discomfort for his mount he heard a rustling of clothing accompanying fast footsteps.

  He glanced round and saw another Ranger approach carrying several of the cloaks that they wore.

  “The sergeant thought that you might need one of these.”

  Cal smiled. “Thanks. Farsighter believes that lessons like ‘what you might need’ should be learnt by getting extremely wet.”

  The soldier returned the smile. “Normally that would be the way that most recruits learn their lessons, but I think that several exceptions might be made in your case.”

  Cal looked at him inquiringly. Noting the unasked question the soldier continued. “It’s not usual for a recruit to go on any actual mission until they’ve been training for at least six months. I guess that you’re the exception to the rule.”

  As if that explained everything he left Cal and began placing the cloaks he carried on small hooks by the side of each stall where the respective horses of the party were being stabled.

  It only took a few minutes to check that all was right with the horse, but by the time he had finished he noted that the others had also arrived at the stable. Tamala looked her usual unhappy self for this time of the morning, though she looked nowhere near as bad as Collett, who looked as if he had not slept all night.

  “Bad night?”

  Collett grimaced. “I’ve been helping Bal
ton collate the news that the Rangers have been bringing in. that pretty much kept me from getting any sleep last night so you might get lucky during tonight’s lesson.”

  Cal smiled. “After our lesson yesterday I get the impression that I’ll need you to be awake for the best part of a week before I stand a chance against you.”

  “Thank you for the vote of confidence, though I’m not that sure myself.”

  Cal left Collett to finish sorting his mount and decided that as he was already sorted he could at least save the others one chore by heading to the kitchen and grabbing the food for them.

  Refugees

  For the first three days after they left the garrison of Riversmeet Cal couldn’t believe how peaceful everything appeared. Although the Rangers were continuously disappearing and reappearing at irregular intervals, the banter amongst the rest of the group seemed to be almost relaxed. Despite the events of the previous few weeks, spirits seemed to be picking up.

  Cal’s lessons were progressing well, though last night had been the first occasion that Tamala had taught him anything. Dorrin and Luda had to hold their sides to keep from laughing at the obvious discomfort between the two youngsters. As they watched, Cal would go crimson faced whilst Tamala would look at the pair with barely concealed fury in her eyes. This only caused the other two to laugh even harder, until eventually they had been sent to look for game by Farsighter, not because they needed the food but because if they hadn’t left it was unlikely that Tamala would have got any of the lesson completed.

  Overall the spirit of the group was definitely rising. Cal smiled at the thought as they moved at a brisk pace over the hilly moorland found to the north of the kingdom, toward the mountains. The appearance of one of the Rangers broke the spell for a moment as they approached from the eastern side of a nearby hill.

  For the purposes of scouting, the Rangers were taking it in turns to leave their horses with the main party and speed off on foot to scout the surrounding area as they neared it. Cal now knew from experience how quickly they could move without their horses, but for Dorrin and Tamala it was a new experience seeing these tough men disappear in the morning on foot yet always returned to wherever they had set up camp in the evening, usually looking almost as fresh as when they set out.