by R W Caron
“Our Army. We are all in this together.”
“I will not be part of a foolish boy trying to avenge the deaths of his people. A brash, stupid boy that is willing to send his people to die for nothing.” Carmae started to walk away but Andrew stopped her in her tacks.
“What of your sister than? Are you going to walk away when we could get her back and free the people?” Andrew snarled at her. “You forget that we are all human.”
“How dare you speak about my sist-” he voice was cut off by tuck’s deep tone.
“I have found a way pass the wall.” Tuck said joining the conversation as he and his men walk back from the shadows.
“What took you so long?” Andrew snapped more forceful that he would have liked. Tuck merely smiled.
“He needed intel correct. I have found more then enough and we have friends on the inside.”
“Explain yourself brute.” Carmae demanded. “I have heard enough garbage for one day.”
“The king is scared. He has been conscripting everyone forcing them to pick up arms, telling them that something big is coming. Those who refused got to suffer at the hands of his mistress, she would line them up, bound them and practice her archery skills on them.” Tuck continued. “However, there is a way in.”
“Do tell.” Andrew said hastily.
“You can talk your friend Alina when you see her for the way in.” Tuck said with a smile. Andrews face lightened at her name. “Ever since she poisoned the water supply the king had had men working day and night to for months to keep the water from the stream being contaminated.”
“What is your point?” Carmae asked crossing her arms.
“My point is these men have a hidden entrance in the wall.”
“It is true.” Came the soft sweet voice of Lexi. She was covered in a deer hide to hide herself from the men. “I have seen it.”
“Where is it?” Andrew asked his face showing morecompassion then his tone.
“Beside the stream at the base of the far tower is where I seen the men pulling on the stone and the disappearing into the wall.” Lexi replied. “I thought it was magic, that is way I did not mention it.”
“Her claims match what I have heard but it is no magic.”
“Tuck you are Carmae took a score of men and mages and find this entrance. I shall keep the king and his men busy at the front grates of the wall. Once inside open the gates and we will storm the citadel.” Andrew ordered. He started to move towards his horse, but Tuck stopped him.
“No.” Tuck replied. “You go to the side door with some one my men. I have a plan for the front grates.”
“What plan?” Andrew asked.
“You will see.” Tuck replied with a devilish grin.
“Fine, we will be waiting for you on the inside.” Andrew suddenly hugged tuck again. “Till death brother.”
“Till Death.” Tuck replied, the old mercenaries farewell. Andrew turned and walked away and Carmae started to follow. Tuck Grabber her arm and turned her around. “One thing, your sister.”
“She is dead.” Carmae replied guessing the answer by the mans face.
“No.” Tuck replied. “She escaped. She has never been seen again.”
“So, there is a chance she still lives?” Carmae asked her eyes fighting back the tears like the rocks fighting back the water in a raging river.
“There is a chance.” Tuck replied. “After this is over, and we have taken back what is ours I will promise you this, I will find her for you.”
“Thank you Tuck.” She replied.
“That’s the first time you have used my name.” Tuck replied with a smile. “I don’t like it from you.”
Carmae laughed “Ok Brute.”
“Much better ma-lady.” Tuck bowed low knowing that Carmae hated that. And she started off after Andrew with a new hope that her sister may still live. Tuck turned away from the fire to one of his men and nodded his head.
“Do you have the mute?” He asked.
The man grabbed the reigns of a horse and pulled it towards tuck on the back was perched a small figure. He stared at Tuck with eyes wide and motioned with his fingers what tuck could only mean he wanted to help. Tuck smiled at the man as he pulled him from the horse back. “I know you can not speak but I was told you can make things explode. I can make fire I need the big bang.” The dwarf makes the motion with his hands of a big boom but bringing them together and shooting them up and out and pursing his lips and tuck nods. “Yes. Big boom. You remember me for the settlement?”
Logan nods and motions to himself and then to tuck. He flexes and then waves a finger back and forth between the two. “Yes Logan, we will make a good team. Your role in this friendship it to provide the big boom. I need you to do it now.” Tuck looked to his men and smiled as Logan ran off looking for stuff. “Help him, bring the barrels of oil and resin that I asked for.” Tuck watched as the men did as they where told. He looked back towards Andrew and Carmae as they started off with a score of men. He wished to go with them but knew he could do more damage here. As he stared at the gates of the wall he hoped his plan would work.
∆∆∆
Andrew, Carmae and the men and mages they had brought with them knelt in the long tall grass. The smell of the fresh dew in the grass made Andrew smile slightly, if this was not such a grim night then it may be able to enjoy this. The soft gentle breeze brushed the grass against his face and the droplets danced on his skin to the sounds of the stream running just a few feet away.
Andrew forces his attention to the two guards in plate armour standing guard watching over the stream. From where he knelt he could tell that one banished a great axe that rested mounted on his back the second had his two-handed sword out and it was resting against the wall. He breathed deep as he scanned for any weakness in the two. Speed would be what they would need to use to defeat them.
As Andrew worked on a plan of attack Carmae grew tired of waiting, and stood up pulling her cloak low over her head and stumbled ahead into view using her staff as a walking stick she curved her back and staggered forward. Andrew did not have a chance to react and was stuck just sitting there in awe as the woman staggered on.
“Halt!” Yelled one of the guards startling the other who grabbed his great sword quickly and raised it. “Who goes there?”
“Pardon?” Carmae asked slightly altering her voice to sound older.
“Who are you? This side of the city is off limits. Move on.” The first guard continued to say barking the orders in a threatening tone.
“I am sorry, I am lost. My eyes have been failing me and now I can barely see at night. I am looking for the Debec.” She mumbled. “Do you know where that is?”
“You are standing in front of it.” The first man replied.
“Oh, how do I get in than.” She asked.
“You walk yourself around to the main gate and wait till morning.” The guard that had been doing all the talking continued.
“Crazy old hag.” The second guard said quietly, but Carmae’s ears picked it up and her head shot to him.
“Hag?” She asked. “HAG!?” She exclaimed then suddenly dropped the cloak. Before the men could react, she slammed her staff into the ground with a magnificent spin. Two bright lights erupted from the sapphire and slammed into both men’s un-helmeted heads.
The men where dead before they could scream, and the smell of burnt flesh erupted into the air. The crack of thunder followed, and Andrew could do nothing but shake his head as he and the soldiers walked forward. “Couldn’t wait for me?”
“You were taking too long.” She replied.
“Didn’t you just call me brash less then an hour ago?” Andrew asked.
“They are dead, aren’t they?” Carmae asked motioning to the men that lay smoldering.
“I was working on a plan.” Andrew replied.
“Mine worked better.” Carmae replied shrugging. “Are we finding a door or do you wish to continue to argue?”
Andrew s
tormed past her rolling his eyes as she spun her staff. “if I were a door where would I be?” Andrew asked himself.
Carmae looked back at the men and smiled. “Next time you will think twice about who you call a hag.” Carmae looked over towards Andrew who was pushing on the stones when suddenly he disappeared into the tower. She smiled as she heard his voice faintly say ‘I found it.’ She moved toward the door thinking of the next comment she would lash his way.
Truly she enjoyed his company, for no one was able to match her wit nor did she have a single person in her life that would call her on the things they did not like. They adapted to her, where as Andrew was different, he did his own thing and somehow it worked out. It made him unpredictable and exciting all in one. Carmae needed excitement, but should Andrew stand in her way of killing the sick sinister king that she so wanted to make suffer she would do what was necessary.
∆∆∆
Tuck sent a few men carrying the barrels of liquid to the gates. The Nipawin men had already taken out the archers on the wall and no alarm had gone up yet, so they must have got all of them. To be safe He sent the archers with them. As they got to the gates they set the barrels up beside the stone supports that held the gates. Tuck’s eyes slowly drifted to the mute dwarf who was grinning from ear to ear. He caught Tuck’s stare and smiled an even toothier grin and make the motion of big boom with his hands again. Tuck chuckled as the men started their journey back. “This had better work.” Tuck said aloud.
“The mute added rocks to the barrels.” One of the skeptical members of the shadow said. “Rocks do not explode.”
“I do not know.” Tuck replied. “But if it does work, you will owe Logan and apology.”
“I will not apologise to a pathetic mute.” The young man shot at Tuck.
Tucks movement was quicker then anyone would have believed. His sword now resting against the younger mans throat. “Do not forget who is your leader boy.”
“A true Shadow would never apologise to a creature such as this.” The man replied. Suddenly he doubled over in pain as Logan turned and punched him with his rock-solid fist square in the groin. The boy fell to the ground as Tuck laughed and sheathed his sword.
The boy reached for Logan but Logan was quicker grabbing his wrist turning it about and flippin the younger man as not to break his wrist. Logan dropped a knee into his throat and pinned him there. He smiled down at the man before falling back with all his weight driving his boulder like head into the mans groin again.
“I yield.” The boy yelped, his voice quite a bit higher than moments ago, Logan chuckled then pointed to his mouth, then ears then shook his finger at the boy. “What?” The young man asked still in a prone position.
“He’s a mute, not deaf.” Tuck replied not even looking at Logan giving him the thumbs up and laughing. The men made the treeline and Tuck cracked his neck. “Logan, I hope you’re right.” Tuck said. Logan pointed at Tuck, pointed to the fire then made a motion of shooting a bow then made the big bang motion again. Tuck nodded. “BOW!” He commanded. One of the men handed Tuck his bow and an arrow wrapped in torn cloth that had been dipped in the resin.
Tuck dipped the arrow in the fire and loaded the bow. The fire singed his hair as he drew back, not wanting to miss his shot. He breathed in and thought of Brittina. Thought of the moments she fell, thought of the pain she had endured before of the king’s men, then he thought of her smile, the sun setting in the distance with her face looking down on him. “For you this ends tonight.”
Tuck let the arrow fly and it scorched the sky digging into the side of the wooden barrel. Smoke started to raise but that was it. Tuck dropped his shoulders in disappointment. “I told you.” The young man that still lay on the ground growled. Tuck started to glance at Logan when the sky lit on fire.
The explosion blew the gate, and a whole big enough for a dragon to walk in comfortably. Tuck fell to the ground from the force of the blast. He looked up and Logan was jumping up and down making the big boom motion. In the air the smoke rose like a giant mushroom in the sky Tuck felt the air rush back past him and stared in awe at the size of the hole now in the wall. His amazement quickly turned to fear as he dove to the side dragging Logan out of the way as the giant iron gate landed right where they had been staying.
“Good job Logan.” Tuck said with a smile.
Logan smiled widely and made the big boom motion again. Tuck nodded and gave him a thumbs up. They had a way in, and now the true test would begin.
∆∆∆
King Erwin sprung from his bed and rushed toward the near by window to see his city on fire. In His frustration he punched the wall. “No. It can’t be.” He growled. “Servants, bring my armour now.” He bellowed at the top of his lungs.
“I shall get the hunter.” Shatina said in a hiss.
“Have him keep you safe.” Erwin ordered.
“I will be fine.” She replied as she exited the room. “It is you who will need his protection this night.” Shatina continued though the halls to the hunter’s room. She opened the unlocked door to see him standing and watching the events unfolding. “Enjoying?” she asked.
“The mute did well. I did not think that the explosion would do that much damage.” The hunter replied calmly.
“You gave them the mute?” She asked.
“Yes. They would never have breached the wall otherwise and you would never get your chance to finally kill your husband.” The hunter replied. “Nor I the chance to go to my homeland.”
“Sneaky little Hunter.” She replied with a hiss.
“The mercenary is more unpredictable than I would have believed.”
“How so?” She asked.
“He fights and plays the game like he has nothing to lose.” The Hunter replied.
“Why is that a problem.” Shatina asked.
The hunter glanced at her for the first time since she had entered the room. “A man without anything to lose is a man without fear, a man without fear will do things against the nature of his character. He will be trouble, so I shall deal with him.”
“What of protection me?” She asked.
“I’m sure you can protect yourself.” The hunter replied and then hissed at her mockingly.
Shatina’s eyes narrowed and she wanted so very much to eat him but knew that he was a key to her plan. “How will you get to him? They may have breached the city but they will not beech the citadel.”
The hunters laugh was haunting as he turned to face her. “They already have breached the Citadel.”
“You?” She asked. He laughed again and shook his head. “Then who.”
“Your husbands golden boy.” He replied.
“Andrew?” the words rolled off her lips.
“Yes. They have already sabotaged the gates to the citadel.” The hunter replied. “The end is coming.”
Shatina had hoped for this day for so long but Erwin had been her lover and her toy for so long now she felt the guilt and doubt start to smell on her. “What of Erwin?”
“He dies.” The hunter replied confused. “Like the plan.”
“What if we kept him alive.” Shatina asked. She did not move quick enough as a jewelled dagger flew from the Hunters belt and sliced through her ear. He was on her in seconds and had her by the throat with his sword resting against her neck ready to plunge into her any second.
