‘Caught her trying to nick a loaf,’ the stall-holder was saying to the surrounding crowd.
A couple of guardsmen appeared at the scene. One of them held out a hand. The baker wordlessly passed the child over. The guard gripped her wrist hard. She continued to struggle, but the guard struck her across the face with the outside of a gloved hand. The girl stopped struggling and now had tears in her eyes, looking around with a fearful expression.
‘We know how to deal with thieves,’ said the guard in a voice designed to carry across the crowd which had now stopped what it was doing to look.
Belwynn had seen and heard enough. She didn’t think through her actions. Some part of her mind propelled her body towards the confrontation in the street. As she approached their space, the group turned to look at her. The baker frowned at her. The young girl looked up nervously. The two guards stared stony-faced.
‘I will pay for her bread,’ suggested Belwynn reasonably. ‘I don’t think she’s a thief. Just a hungry child.’
Almost as the last syllable left her mouth, the rest of Belwynn’s brain caught up with her actions. This was not clever. The second guard hefted a long spear, pointing the metal end in her direction.
‘We don’t have strangers coming here telling us what to do. We have town laws to respect.’
Some in the crowd murmured their agreement. The guard, perhaps emboldened by this, gestured at Belwynn’s waist where her sword was belted.
‘Drop your sword to the ground. You’re under arrest.’
Belwynn expected no justice from these men.
‘No,’ she said. Instead she drew it out, stepping back slightly to give herself room for a swing.
At this gesture, there was a sudden rush of movement and noise. The stallholders and shoppers moved away from the confrontation, some gasping in shock at the turn of events. At the same time two groups moved to join them. Three guards who had also been patrolling the centre of town moved over to support the first two. Meanwhile, Dirk and Elana moved over to join Belwynn. Dirk looked ill, but at least he carried a short sword. Elana had no weapon at all.
‘Back off,’ said Dirk in a cool voice.
The guardsmen smiled, their dirty teeth bared in delight at the sudden sport they were being given. All five now had weapons out, two of them holding spears with a reach far greater than the swords held by Elana and Dirk. They began to move towards Belwynn and the others.
‘Kill them,’ shouted one of the guards, his eyes staring at Belwynn as he said it.
‘Try to leave the women alive!’ suggested another, to the laughs of his comrades.
They did not take the threat from Belwynn and Dirk seriously, and why should they? Belwynn might show them she knew how to fight. Dirk could probably draw on his last reserves of strength if he had to. But they were outnumbered by bigger and stronger men. Belwynn wished that Elana and Dirk hadn’t come over to help. They would have been more use staying out of the fight. At least, she thought to herself, the little girl had been forgotten. Belwynn could not see her anywhere. No doubt she had slipped away by now.
Belwynn held her sword out in front of her and edged backwards. Behind her, Dirk and Elana also retreated. The guardsmen fanned out so that they could attack from the sides. Someone came at her from behind and to the right—another guardsman sneaking up on them?
‘Rabigar is here,’ said Elana.
Belwynn was glad she did, because she was just in the process of taking a swing at the Krykker.
‘Don’t worry,’ he whispered as he walked by.
Rabigar put himself in-between Belwynn and the guardsmen. His sword was in one hand.
‘We’re leaving,’ he informed them in a matter of fact voice. ‘Let us go and there will be no bloodshed.’
The guardsmen sniggered.
‘We want bloodshed,’ said one of them. ‘Yours.’
To the guards, Rabigar’s arrival didn’t change their superiority and control of the situation. Rabigar’s eye patch perhaps seemed to suggest he was no real threat to these soldiers. But Belwynn knew better. They might have a chance to escape now.
Rabigar was moving at some speed towards the guardsman who had shouted out.
‘You want my blood?’ he shouted, almost roaring a challenge.
Rabigar reached the guard before the others could react. Once in range, the guard let out a roar of his own and swung a club in a descending arc towards the Krykker’s chest area. Rabigar blocked the strike up high and then spun into the remaining space. In the same motion, he swung his blade up into the undefended neck of the guard, the sharpened point slicing through the jugular vein. As Rabigar retreated, he was sprayed by a squirt of blood, the guard sinking to his knees before toppling over. Screams erupted all around them, as the crowds which had been watching the confrontation turned and fled. The four remaining guardsmen suddenly looked worried. Rabigar turned around.
‘Dirk, you lead us towards the far end of the town. I know a way out. Belwynn, we’re walking backwards to put off anyone from following. Elana, you’re guiding our steps. Let’s go, as quick as we can.’
2
Pursuit
BELWYNN KNEW HOW LUCKY SHE WAS that Rabigar knew an alternative exit from Korkis. The trading town was in chaos after the confrontation she had started in the central square, but its soldiers were organised enough to close the gates to prevent an escape.
Rabigar led Belwynn, Elana and Dirk through a maze of side streets. Following them all the way were two of the town guards. They were wary enough of Rabigar not to challenge them directly, but they made sure not to let them out of their sight. Doubtless they planned to corner them until reinforcements arrived.
The guards hadn’t bargained on Rabigar’s knowledge of the town.
They arrived in an alley. Rabigar led them on, but they soon stopped at a dead end. Ahead of them were the wooden stakes of the town walls, driven in too deep to lift out with any ease. The two guards stood at the top of the alley, holding their prey in, but reluctant to move any further. One of them began shouting out their location to anyone who would listen. It wouldn’t be long before they attracted the right attention.
Rabigar approached the wall. He kicked at it. A section swung open. It was attached with hinges to the rest of the wall, effectively opening as a gate with a space large enough for one person to fit through. It had been constructed well, invisible except to those who knew to look for it.
Rabigar stepped one foot over onto the grassy hill outside the town wall.
‘I’m glad that’s still there,’ said Rabigar, grinning at the others. He turned around and climbed right through. Belwynn, Elana and Dirk quickly followed and they were all outside by the time the two guards reached the gate themselves.
Rabigar led them away from the town, making for a wooded area about a mile to the north. For a moment Belwynn thought they were safe, but the guards were not giving up so easily. Korkis seemed to be an independent and military minded town. The soldiers were not about to let them escape unpunished. The two guards had soon attracted the attention of their colleagues manning the northern gate tower, to the west of the postern gate. By the time Belwynn and the others had reached the outskirts of the wooded cover Rabigar was leading them to, a force of about a dozen soldiers had set out from the town to chase them down. There was no doubt that the men of Korkis could see them.
When they entered the tree line, Belwynn glanced back once more. A single rider had now joined the men on foot. He would be able to eat up the distance between them, and ensure that the soldiers wouldn’t lose their quarry. She shared a glance with Rabigar.
‘I think they’ve got a couple of dogs as well,’ he said, his head cocked upwards, suggesting he had heard rather than seen their presence.
They pressed on into the wood. It felt a little safer once they were out of sight from the soldiers, but Belwynn knew that their pursuers would have no problems following their trail.
Rabigar looked upwards. ‘Less than two ho
urs until it gets dark. Then they’ll have to stop. A night out in the cold might persuade them to give up the chase. We’ve got to keep going.’
Dirk and Elana nodded in agreement at his words, but they didn’t seem particularly reassured by them.
Belwynn felt terrible that they were in this position because of her actions. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘If I had just kept out of it we wouldn’t be in this mess. It was stupid.’
‘No-one blames you,’ said Elana, gripping her shoulder. ‘You acted bravely, for that young girl.’
‘Maybe, but there are more important things. I should have been thinking about the weapons, about Soren—’
‘No,’ said Elana. ‘You did the right thing.’
Elana sounded like she meant what she said. It made Belwynn feel better.
It wasn’t long afterwards that they heard the barking of dogs behind them, indicating that their trail had been found and their pursuers had entered the woods. They were travelling as fast as they could, but Dirk was still unwell and they had been walking almost all day. The soldiers would be stronger and faster. They had to make it to nightfall.
They marched on, Rabigar trying to find a passable route through the trees. The sound of the soldiers and the dogs behind spurred them on. Rather than following directly behind them, they seemed to have fanned out to the left.
‘Cutting us off from the deeper part of the wood,’ said Rabigar grimly in explanation.
Belwynn gave him a worried look.
He shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter. ‘They want to push us out into open ground. If they want to waste time doing that, it’s fine by me.’
Gradually, but inevitably, they were getting closer. An hour passed in this way, Belwynn and the others trying to maintain the ever-diminishing gap which would keep them safe. Meanwhile, the Korkis soldiers continued to herd them in a north-easterly direction. The sun moved lower and lower in the sky and the light began to go. Soon it would disappear altogether and they would have to stop.
Belwynn heard a horse’s hooves behind them. She turned around, grabbing the hilt of her sword. The horseman from Korkis was a hundred yards behind them. He had moved ahead of his other comrades and was alone. Rabigar moved towards him, sword in hand, to stand in front of the others.
The horseman moved a bit closer and then stopped, eyeing up his opposition. He was a young man, perhaps just into his twenties. He drew a sword from his belt.
‘I’ve found you,’ he said, smiling at the idea. ‘The others aren’t far behind. Turn yourselves in now.’
‘Why?’ asked Rabigar. ‘Scared of spending the night out in the woods?’
‘You’re the one who should be scared,’ the soldier retorted hotly. ‘Give up now, or I’ll finish you off myself!’
‘Go ahead and try,’ replied Rabigar calmly. ‘I could do with that horse after I slit your throat.’
Rabigar’s bravado seemed to pay off. The soldier looked at him uneasily. He did not seem entirely comfortable on the horse and had no doubt heard that Rabigar was a dangerous opponent.
‘Maybe I’ll just wait here for the others,’ said the soldier. He cupped his hands to his mouth. ‘Over here,’ he shouted.
A surge of panic ran through Belwynn’s body.
‘We’re going,’ said Rabigar, maintaining his steady voice. ‘Belwynn, you lead the way. I’ll stay behind in case he tries anything,’ he said loudly.
Belwynn nodded. She led them off in the same direction they had been going. Elana and Dirk followed behind while Rabigar brought up the rear, his one eye on the mounted soldier. After a while the soldier urged his horse on and followed behind, all the time keeping a safe distance from Rabigar. Every now and again he would shout out to the other soldiers, who would shout back in return. These new tactics were certainly scaring her, but Belwynn realised that they were using them in desperation. There was little light left and the other soldiers were too far away to reach them tonight.
Another half an hour passed. Then Rabigar suddenly turned and ran at the soldier who had been following them, his sword ready to strike. For a moment, the soldier seemed unsure whether to take on the Krykker or retreat. He decided on the latter, turning his horse around and giving it a hurried kick, urging it away. Rabigar stopped and let him go. Once a safe distance away again, the soldier turned around in his saddle.
‘See you in the morning,’ he crowed, before continuing until out of sight.
Rabigar made them carry on walking until he was sure that their pursuers had stopped for the night. He threw his bag down to the floor, making a jingling sound as his new cookery items hit the ground.
‘Well, I’m not going to start cooking now,’ said Rabigar. ‘I don’t know whether to leave these things behind in the morning. How did you three get on with food?’ he asked.
‘We haven’t got much that tastes good raw,’ replied Dirk. ‘Dried oats, vegetables...’
‘Get that pickled cabbage out,’ suggested Belwynn. ‘It will taste alright and then we can leave the jars behind.’
Belwynn forced herself to eat the food so that she would have enough energy for tomorrow. She could hear noise from the other camp, less than a mile away, and it set her on edge. For all they knew there could be soldiers out in the trees right now, watching them.
Rabigar insisted that the other three get to sleep and that he would keep watch all night.
Belwynn was too tired to argue. She considered contacting Soren. But what could she say, except to blurt out the danger they were in? That wouldn’t help them one bit, and it would only add to her brother’s worries.
She lay down, desperate for rest. But her mind was reeling and couldn’t switch off, and the hard ground was uncomfortable. She wept then, silent tears of frustration at the events of the last few days.
Elana appeared next to her. Without saying a word, the priestess put her hands to her shoulders, then to her neck, and on to the top of her head. Belwynn lay still. She felt her body let go of some of its tension.
‘Is this magic?’ she asked drowsily. She had witnessed Elana’s healing abilities more than once over the last few weeks; not least on Dirk, as he lay close to death in the lands of the Blood Caladri. He had killed the dread sorcerer Nexodore with Toric’s Dagger, though had paid a heavy price for it with internal damage that not even Elana could fully heal. But Belwynn had never seen Elana use her powers for something as trivial as this. ‘I have no injury that needs to be healed,’ she added.
Her question went unanswered, and she drifted into sleep.
Rabigar woke them while it was still dark. Belwynn still felt exhausted, and her muscles ached, but within minutes she was ready to go. They agreed to leave their non-essential items at the camp, so that they did not have to carry them. Rabigar left his new pots and pans.
‘Maybe they’ll be happy when they pick this lot up and forget about us,’ he suggested.
Belwynn doubted that. They were only a matter of minutes behind them, and the mounted soldier knew exactly where they were.
They headed north, scraping their way through the trees in the dark. By sunrise, the force from Korkis was after them again. They soon heard the barking of the dogs to the west, and again Rabigar was forced to head eastwards to evade them. Belwynn couldn’t help wondering whether Gyrmund would have been able to get them out of this situation. The tracker had led them through the Wilderness, with its dangerous vossi inhabitants. Rabigar was doing the best he could, but the men from Korkis were gaining on them.
As they moved further east, the trees became more and more sparse. They had reached the plain of Kalinth. No more woodland to hide in, just rolling open countryside.
They had no choice but to press on, despite feeling more exposed. It seemed to be mainly sheep country in this area. They marched uphill through a field covered in sheep dung. They reached a thick hedge which stretched away in either direction as far as the eye could see. Rabigar heaved himself over a gate into the next field. The sound of
shouting reached them from the direction of the woodland. They had been spotted. There were still about a dozen soldiers, just emerging from the trees. One of the soldiers had two hounds held on leashes. His arm was held out in front of him as they pulled forwards. The horseman who had found them the previous evening accompanied them. They waved their weapons in the air in triumph at seeing their quarry.
Belwynn bolted over the gate. Elana and Dirk quickly followed. Rabigar looked around. There was nowhere to hide. He decided to take them in the same direction, gently rising uphill in an easterly direction, perhaps in the hope that there would be some rescue for them on the other side.
They reached the crest of the hill which gave them something of a vantage point. The woodland lay to the west of them. To the south and east was more grassland, divided up by the local farmers with hedges or stone walls. Some had sheep in, most lay empty. Some distance to the east Belwynn could make out a set of buildings which was probably a farmstead, but it was too far to reach in time. To the north, the plains briefly dipped low, before rising again to a point slightly higher than their own. Behind them, the soldiers from Korkis had almost reached the gate into their field. They were five minutes behind.
Rabigar pointed north. ‘This way,’ he said.
Belwynn almost refused. She was tired and scared, and Rabigar was dragging them onwards with no hope of escape. Elana and Dirk wordlessly followed him and Belwynn found herself doing the same.
They began to jog, taking advantage of the downward slope and trying to put some distance between themselves and the soldiers. A series of shouts and whoops rose up behind them. As she ran, Belwynn could now make out some of the words shouted at them. She heard the phrase ‘slit your throat,’ more than once, but most frightening was the excited barking of the two dogs.
The Weapon Takers Saga Box Set Page 37
