War's Ending

by A J Park

  Kalleck offered his hand and pulled Hannal back to his feet. “The sea-king will help us,” Kalleck said.

  As Kalleck gathered the other Yalkur to him, Hannal turned to Kemman, who was sitting on the ground, holding his shoulder. He took off the armor the boy wore and pulled his shirt back from the wound.

  “It’s bleeding badly,” he said.

  He held a wad of cloth against the wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood. They bound the cloth as tightly as they could against the boy’s shoulder. Kemman grunted in pain.

  “Get back to the city with the others who are hurt,” Hannal said. “I have to go find your mother.”

  “Go, Father,” Kemman said, through gritted teeth. “I’ll be all right.”

  CHAPTER 34

  Kalleck, Son of Gallidack, First Guardian of the Yalkur

  Quickly, Kalleck assigned some of the Yalkur men to help the wounded back to the city. Those who remained and were unhurt, he divided into three companies.

  Kalleck spoke to the Yalkur riders, silent and faceless behind their masks, watching the Almorians warily. “The men at the top of the hill are not Galenor’s men. They are loyal to the sea-king, Shalyrie’s uncle,” he said, indicating King Telthan. “They will not harm us. The sea-king has come to stop the attacks, to save our people. I know that we have never allowed strangers into our valley, but if we don’t do this now, many more of our people will die. We must stop the rest of Galenor’s men. The sea-king has already restored our people who were captive in Newport to us. See? Adak, Karrah and Tarkan have returned, along with the others. Now, the sea-king and his men will ride with us.

  “Guardian Hannal will command one company. Adak of the Stone Clan will ride with him. Tarkan, Second Chief of the Hunter Clan, will lead the second. Karrah will go with him to translate. The sea-king will ride with me. A company of the king’s men will ride with each group.”

  At a nod from Kalleck, King Telthan gave the signal and his men began to advance down the slope. He gave orders to his men, who had never ridden on horseback before, and soon the Yalkur were riding double with the king’s most trusted soldiers. The remaining soldiers followed on foot.

  “Do you have any idea where Galenor will go?” Telthan asked.

  “I have a guess,” Kalleck said. He turned to the others. “Hannal, ride west toward Aranak. Tarkan, take the center. And we will ride north.”

  One of the Yalkur brought Kalleck a horse and he mounted. He gave his hand to King Telthan, who hesitated for a second, and then allowed himself to be pulled up onto the horse behind Kalleck. The other Yalkur followed Kalleck down the hill. They rode swiftly past the lake and deeper into the valley.

  CHAPTER 35

  Tarkan, Second Leader of the Hunter Cla

  Tarkan had forgotten how good it felt to ride. The horse was strong and willing beneath him, and the wind was in his face. He was alive, and he was home. They were going to stop the fighting.

  The girl, Karrah of the Stone Clan, rode beside him with her little boy in front of her. Kalleck had sent her to interpret what the sea-folk said.

  Karrah had come to him in the dungeon, telling him that two Yalkur and two of the sea-folk needed his help. She told him about Shalyrie, that she was the one who had already saved his life, and how Galenor had kidnapped and tortured her. Her uncle, the sea-king was being led into danger by Galenor. They all needed help.

  A sea-folk woman and a color-fully dressed man Karrah called “Lord Brennan” had released Tarkan from his prison cell. The rest of the captive Yalkur had been assembled outside, and they all left the fortress together.

  Karrah hadn’t told him who the two Yalkur in need of help were. He’d had no idea that it was his brother and First Guardian Kalleck. By the time they gotten there, it was too late and Sinnar was dead. Tarkan found Kalleck injured and abused by the sea-folk, but alive. His brother hadn’t been so lucky. He wondered if the rest of his family still lived…

  Tarkan put his hand in his pocket and felt his brother’s clan marker and held it tightly. It didn’t seem real that Sinnar was gone.

  Tarkan hadn’t ridden very far when they came to a group of Galenor’s men surrounding a rocky outcropping. When they saw the horses coming, they turned and held their weapons ready. One of the king’s captains, who had been riding behind Tarkan, slid to the ground and went forward to speak to them.

  “He’s telling them not to attack and to put their weapons away,” Karrah translated for Tarkan.

  Galenor’s men looked uncertain, but slowly they did as they were told. Most of them looked relieved. They didn’t look cruel or heartless. One dead sea-folk soldier lay beside the rocks.

  Karrah pointed to the fallen man. “They say he was their commander, and that he ordered them to attack. Galenor’s men didn’t want to because it was a group of old people. But someone must have been able to fight because the Yalkur got the commander when he attacked them. The captain is telling them that Galenor is finished and asking them if they still serve the sea-king. Would the king of Almoria send them to fight against old people?”

  One of the young soldiers spoke up, and Karrah told Tarkan what he said. “‘We didn’t want to kill them. But any man who refused Galenor’s orders disappeared. My best friend spoke up last year, and I haven’t seen him since.’ The captain told him, ‘The king is here now, and he orders no more harm to the horsemen. We’re going home.’”

  The soldiers drew back, lowering their weapons. Tarkan got off his horse and approached the rocks, slowly and carefully. “Hello?” he called in Yalkur. “We’ve come to help you.”

  “Is that you, Sinnar?” A black-veiled Yalkur woman came out with a sword in her hand.

  “High Priestess,” Tarkan said. “I’m not Sinnar. I’m Tarkan.”

  High Priestess Allemi dropped the sword, ran the remaining distance to Tarkan, and hugged him. “Here? Alive! You came back! Please… Is Kalleck alive? And where is Sinnar? Three days ago their horses came back without them.”

  “Kalleck is alive. He’s hurt, but able to ride,” Tarkan said.

  “Sinnar?”

  Tarkan slowly shook his head. He could see the shock in her eyes.

  “No,” she gasped. “Did they kill Shalyrie?”

  “The girl with the golden hair? She’s not well,” Tarkan said heavily. “But there’s no time now to tell you everything that happened. Do you have anyone here who’s hurt?”

  “Only those who were already wounded,” Allemi said. “We had to stop the sea-folk when they attacked. Gareth helped me fight them off.” She looked toward an Almorian whose leg was splinted and who was now sitting on the ground. She offered her hand to him and helped him up. With her assistance, he limped out into the open, followed by the rest of the Yalkur in their group.

  “He doesn’t look ready to fight.”

  “He’s not, but he defended us anyway,” Allemi said.

  Karrah dismounted with the little boy still in her arms. Tarkan watched in disbelief as she ran to the Almorian and hugged him tightly. Why? He was the enemy.

  “You’re alive!” the Almorian exclaimed joyfully.

  “I thought we’d never see you again!” Karrah said.

  Tarkan had expected her to hate all the sea-folk after what she’d been through. He’d even assumed when he saw the child’s blue eyes that one of the sea-folk must have dishonored her. He’d never expected to see a man who obviously loved her, a man who had helped Allemi, and earned her respect. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised. He’d learned himself that some of the sea-folk were good people. Even Sinnar had discovered that in the end.

  The king’s soldiers and the Yalkur horsemen watched the reunion of the little family. A few shook their heads and turned away, but after they got over their initial shock, the rest looked satisfied and happy for them. The war had separated too many people.

  The Almori
an commander gathered the soldiers into a group and assigned some men to lead them back out of the valley. When they were on their way, the Yalkur slowly began to make their way out of the rocks, hobbling into the open. Allemi had no one with her who was prepared to fight. They were the last group to have left the city, the wounded and the aged. “Why didn’t more of them attack us?” Allemi asked.

  “Their commander ordered them, but they didn’t really want to,” Tarkan said. “Even the sea-folk could tell it wasn’t a fair fight.” These Yalkur wouldn’t have provided much of a fight at all, except for Allemi. “The sea-king has come to order all of the soldiers out of our lands. Kalleck is with him.”

  “It was the sea-king who made them stop their attack?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then he is a true friend of the Yalkur! We owe him our lives!” The Yalkur gathered around her, and they held each other, shedding tears of joy and relief. Finally, Allemi wiped her eyes and squared her shoulders.

  “We still have much to do. We must start back to the city,” she said.

  “And we must be on our way,” Tarkan said. He looked toward the little family, still embracing each other. “Karrah?” He still needed someone to translate for him.

  She nodded, and kissed her Almorian husband. “Will you go back to the city with them?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Gareth said. “I will go with the High Priestess.”

  Karrah nodded. “I must fulfill my duty. The First Guardian sent me with Tarkan to translate. I will find you at the city when we’re finished.”

  “I don’t want to let you go,” he said, “but I must.” He took the child from her, embraced her once more, and watched her mount her horse. The little boy watched her go, contented in his father’s arms, his head on Gareth’s shoulder.

  “I’ll see you very soon,” she promised.

  Tarkan and the others got back into their saddles, and they rode on into the valley.

  The remainder of Tarkan’s company rode for a long time before they saw anyone else. They followed another, larger company of Almorians into a narrow canyon. The soldiers were following the course of a river that ran in the bottom. As they went farther upstream, they saw more soldiers. On horseback, they were able to overtake the men on foot. The Almorian captain spoke to them, ordering them to retreat. Karrah translated what she heard for Tarkan.

  “It sounds like they were following a group of Yalkur,” she said, looking uneasily at the sides of the canyon.

  Hopefully, they had found someplace defensible rather than being cornered where they couldn’t escape.

  The terrain grew more rocky, and they came to a place where there was only a narrow way forward. He heard cries and shouts, and the clash of weapons. The captain ordered all of the sea-folk soldiers back. Several of them came running back out of the rocks, a few obviously injured. The captain went forward and looked for more.

  “He thinks that was all of them,” Karrah translated as the man came back. “It should be only our people back there now.”

  Tarkan and a few of the other Yalkur dismounted. It was too rocky here for the horses. They went forward slowly and carefully. Someone was defending the passage. “We are Yalkur! We’re coming in!” Tarkan called into the opening. He made his way slowly between the rocks. The bodies of several Almorian soldiers were strewn on the ground.

  He turned a corner and found the point of a sword blade at his throat. He stopped dead, raising his empty hands to show that he hadn’t drawn a weapon. The person holding the sword looked like a Yalkur, dressed in black riding clothes and a mask, but after everything they had seen, it was best to be sure.

  “Who are you?” Tarkan asked.

  “Who are you?” a woman’s voice demanded, speaking Yalkur. “None of our warriors would go out unmasked and without his clan marker. And those are sea-folk clothes. Are you trying to trick us?”

  “Please put the sword down,” he said. “I am Yalkur.”

  “Sinnar?” she asked uncertainly.

  He recognized her. It was Kalleck’s cousin Kellji. “No,” he said.

  “Tarkan?” she whispered in shock. “You’re alive. You’re here!”

  Several other Yalkur were now clustered behind her. “First Guardian Kalleck sent me,” he told them. “We brought some of the men of the sea-king. They will take the others back with them. Their king ordered them not to fight anymore. They’re going away.”

  There were exclamations of joy and relief. They moved aside to let Tarkan in.

  “It is safe to return to the city. The First Guardian sent us to follow any of the sea-folk left in the valley. We will leave a few men here to help and guard you.”

  “Where is Sinnar?” Kellji demanded. “Is he safe? Why isn’t he with you?”

  “Kellji… He’s…” Tarkan stopped.

  “No!” she exclaimed. “No. Tell me where he is.”

  He put his hands on her shoulders. “He’s dead.”

  She twisted away from him and stumbled away through the rocks.

  “Kellji!”

  Tarkan followed her. He found her crumpled on the ground, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs. He put a comforting hand on her back.

  “Will you help her?” he asked one of the Yalkur who had been defending the rocks.

  “When she’s ready, I will take her back to the others.”

  Tarkan assigned some men to stay and assist them, and they rode on. Before nightfall, they had found two other companies of sea-folk and had been able to turn them around with little trouble.

  The captain questioned them.

  “He says there is one more group on the far side of the river,” Karrah said. “He thinks they were pursuing some of our people. It’s getting late. We don’t have much light left.”

  The ford was nearby, and they crossed quickly. Once across they rode hard for a little while, trying to catch up, and soon they could hear the sounds of battle. The sea-folk had a group of Yalkur pinned against a steep slope. The Yalkur were fighting, but they were outnumbered. The sea-folk captain shouted at them and slowly they retreated. Tarkan didn’t need to see their faces to read the relief in the little band that had been fighting for their lives. There were several children in the group, behind the others, hidden in the safest place.

  The captain was still shouting at them, and Tarkan saw Karrah nod in satisfaction. “He’s telling them they should be ashamed,” she said. “There’s no reason to attack children. He’s telling them that Galenor will never command another soldier anywhere in their lands. The king would never allow this.”

  The company of sea-folk just had time to cross the river before dark had fallen.

  The captain came to Tarkan to report, and Karrah translated. “He says this group is the last. When morning comes, we can confirm this, and then go back to meet the king.”

  Tarkan nodded in agreement. “Tell him thank you for the lives he saved today.”

  They made a hasty camp where they were and rested as well as they could. At first light, they were riding again, combing the hills, looking for any sign of sea-folk. They found a few more groups of Yalkur and were able to give them the good news. By midmorning, they met scouts from the group that had gone with Guardian Hannal, and they all began the journey back to the city.

  On horseback, they passed many people on foot. Tarkan’s riders gave help to any that were injured or hungry. At last, Tarkan saw a group of very familiar people and he rode up to them, calling a greeting.

  At the sound of his voice, they all stared at him. His mother, his grandparents. and there was Addia, gaping at him in disbelief. His mother’s eyes were wide in shock, and Addia was running to him.

  “Tarkan!” she exclaimed.

  He jumped off his horse, and then she was in his arms. How many hours he had spent thinking of her, believing he would never see her again?

&
nbsp; “Addia!” He kissed her. She clung to him, and he swiftly realized that she felt very different in his arms. He felt the round swell of her belly against him. She was with child. Suddenly, his head was spinning and he felt like there was no air left in his lungs. How long had he been gone?

  “Tarkan!” His mother hugged him fiercely. “Nothing could be better than having you back. But… where is your brother?”

  “Mother, I…” He couldn’t seem to get the words out. He reached into his pocket and took out Sinnar’s clan marker. He saw her eyes fill with tears. She knew what he was trying to tell them. He took a deep breath. “He’s dead.”

  She reached out and took the strip of woven cloth from him and, as her fingers closed around it, she bowed her head and wept.

  For a long time, they held each other, clinging to each other in sorrow and relief and pain.

  “Will you tell us what happened?” his mother asked.

  He hesitated for a moment. “It would take a long time to tell you everything.” He looked up at Karrah, who was still on horseback. “Karrah helped me. She is one of the Stone Clan who had also been captive. She brought more of the sea-folk who let us go. She told me there were two Yalkur in danger, and I came back to help and to find the girl with the golden hair. I had seen her before. She… helped me. She stopped them from killing me.”

  “Shalyrie?”

  Tarkan nodded. “Yes. They were going to kill her and make it look like two Yalkur had done it.”

  They all gasped in horror. “No…”

  “We followed them, trying to stop them before the sea-folk killed all of them. I knew the girl with the golden hair was with them, but I didn’t know who the two Yalkur were. When we found them, I realized they were Sinnar and Kalleck. And… Sinnar was dead.”

  “Did they kill Kalleck?” his mother asked.