The Ravens of Carrid Tower

by David c Black

  Canno was about to ask how the monk knows before stopping himself. Instead he whipped his pack horses into motion after the monk.

  “Off!” The armoured knight shouted in heavily accented Carridean at Azon and Cillius who were first to roll to halt in front of a picket. They climbed down from the drivers bench, the man levelling a spear in their faces. “Who you?”

  “I represent the Assembly” Cillius said. “The Shaa is expecting us.”

  The man had looked confused when Cillius started speaking, but at mention of the Shaa he stepped back. “Wait you.”

  He returned with another soldier, wearing finer mostly plated armour.

  “What’s your name?” Speaking Carridean with more skill.

  “Cillius.”

  He nodded. “Follow me. All of you”. Motioning to Canno and Rill who had not dismounted despite the earlier order.

  As they walked through the camp a voice suddenly called out, “Azon”. The monk turned to find its source and Wit rattled his chains, locking eyes with him. Before Wit could say another word, a guard stepped forward and smashed him over the back with a stick driving him to his knees. The half-naked guard lashed out again, this time cracking it over his skull. Knocked out, the retired Raven collapsed on the ground, dust from the dry ground rising up around him.

  “Who is Azon?” Their escort suddenly asked.

  “Don’t recognize the name. Why is he in a cage?” Azon responded, but no reply came.

  “Where is the Shaa?” Cillius said as they rounded another section of bone tents, “This is highly unusual normally we…”

  Armoured soldiers filed out from the tattered structure, surrounding the four Carrideans. Rill and Canno moved to draw swords, but were checked by the monk who raised his hand. “Steady.” He called under softly.

  “Was it worth it, Cillius?” Azon asked the agent loudly who declined to reply. “In a moment I’m jumping out of here with Canno and Rill.”

  That seemed to jolt the man back to life. “You’re a monk?” The answer to the question that had been haunting him for the entire journey down here. If Kellick knew, why would he send his men with him. “You have to take me too, Azon. Please!” He begged.

  “No, Cillius. Kellick almost persuaded me to save you, but you’re responsible for more pain and suffering than can be forgiven in this life.”

  “Azon, please! You can’t do this!” Sobbing now, backing away from the approaching fanatics. The armoured knights increased their pace towards them. Their well-spoken escort had vanished.

  “Ready?” Canno and Rill looked at each other.

  “Get us the fuck out of here, Azon!” Canno shouted.

  “You can’t leave me here!” Cillius screamed, running over to the three men who had locked hands, then simply… disappeared.

  A bell later Kellick walked into the church he had been informed a dishevelled man had taken refuge in, laying next to the alter and refusing to move despite the local priests increasingly irate protests.

  “He’s a monk, you know” The Captain said, surprising the priest.

  “I… Didn’t know. Forgive me”

  “Give us a moment, if you would priest.”

  “Of-course, Captain.” The man said departing.

  “You look like shit.”

  “Feeling great though.” Azon winced.

  “I see we have a few more faces in town.”

  “I couldn’t leave them.”

  “The men seem pleased to see them again.”

  “I don’t know who the other two are, but Wit and the other ravens were insistent. They all…” he coughed. “…had to come or they wouldn’t go.”

  “They’re contract swords now. The older man is their boss. It’s Chiros, Azon. You saved Chiros.”

  “The Chiros?”

  “The man himself. You should ask him for a reward”

  “That would be a crime.”

  “Of-course.” the Captain said with faux formality.

  “Who’s the boy?”

  “His apprentice or some such. Tell me of Cillius.”

  “I dropped him at the Assembly”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did they say when they saw his body.”

  “He’s alive, Captain. I took him to the mountain and showed him the blood on his hands.”

  “He’s talking?”

  “Oh yes. Because he knows if he deviates from the truth for one second I’ll pick him back up and drop back in the middle of the horde.”

  “This is most welcome news, Azon. We may be able to hold out until Assembly forces arrive. Can we ask of you one more favour?”

  “I’ll jump to Rand now.” The monk leaned on the alter to stand.

  “Just needed a few minutes here to…”

  “Take your time, Azon.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Carrid

  Jaro had not been in the Assembly when the monk appeared with Cillius. The agent was still in partial shock having been pulled out of the Shaa’s camp at the very last moment, grasping hands inches away from him on all sides. Cillius was known to all the Senators as one of Jaro’s dogs on a leash. He had been set on many of them during Jaro’s Consulship. Witnessing both a jump and the usually brazen and impeccably dressed man in such a state, immediately captured the room’s attention. Something big was happening. A few men departed quickly, while the rest watched the monk disappear, bated breaths in anticipation.

  Word had come to the Consul’s residence quickly. A bird first, a runner next and then the tower guard. The Consul stood at the far end of his garden, one leg on a low wall as he looked down into the tower’s core. From this height the countless balls of ore light looked like a galaxy of multi coloured stars. The city was alive with motion, spinning wheels of all sizes rotated slowly, the lifts and gondolas chugged forward and back and the tiny dots he knew to be people travelled in every direction.

  A big termite tower. Nothing more.

  “Sir, some officers from the tower guard are here asking for you.”

  Jaro stepped up to the finely carved stone ledge and with a light push of his toes, fell silently forward into the city.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Ja Deist

  Locke and Harlon stood in a deserted road, surrounded by large wooden barrels of different sizes and heaps of half empty burlap sacks. Both of them were filthy. A few paces behind the men rested a hand pulled cart filled with more barrels and bottles, three large spades, a pickaxe and cases of hammers, chisels and other assorted tools. The pair had barely slept since arriving in Ja Deist having worked feverishly on their new project day and night with evident glee. Harlon held a large folded paper map that the Captain's clerk had copied for them and Locke pointed at a section of it for the third time with frustration They were arguing again.

  "Kellick says they will come this way, so it needs to go along here, Locke."

  "He's wrong, they could just as easily come from that road." He said pointing down the street.

  "That's north-east idiot, no one will come that way."

  "They will. Bet you?"

  "This isn't the time. We put it all here and then we're done."

  "Think about it Harlon, after a while they won't all be able to fit down there."

  "How do you mean?"

  "Well Kellick's not done a bad job has he. They will be falling over themselves all the way. The street’s not that big is it."

  "And there's a lot of them."

  "Exactly, when the horde stops, it will spread. This area is largely undefended, windows still un-boarded, garden walls too low. They will take it. Then circle around here." He said motioning with his finger over the map. "And then down this way see. So, we should do it there."

  "Half."

  "Fine. But bet you they come that way."

  "How about I wager they come both ways."

  "Nope, they absolutely will come Kellick's way."

  "No bet then."

  "Because
you know I’m right."

  You usually are.

  Horns sounded in the air above them, ringing through the maze of narrow alleys. The brothers looked at each other grinning. They were perhaps the only ones in the region who were genuinely excited about the days to come. These two strange men and one other. A god pretending to be a prophet, marching to war on a chariot of bones.

  "Let's hurry, they are here. If we don't finish this in time Kellick might get Azon to deal with any machines the Shaa brings up."

  "No, he won't, Azon needs to save his energy for later."

  "I don't care, let's just get it done. I want to see them."

  "We should use explosives."

  "No, it's too close to the wall. If we breach it ourselves then what? They will never let us forget it. Anyway, it's going be wood isn't it."

  "Might not be."

  "What else can you make a ram out of."

  "I dunno do I, not a bloody engineer. Maybe iron or steel."

  "Unlikely, half of them don't have proper blades."

  "Maybe because they used all their iron for a giant ram."

  "Okay Locke, if a giant metal ram comes out we can use explosives. But if it’s a normal machine we burn it. Okay?"

  "No if it's a giant metal thing we should melt it. Obviously".

  "You said you wanted to use explosives?"

  "Yeah against a normal ram."

  "What about the metal one?"

  "You started that saying it will definitely be made out of wood. Might not be."

  "It's painful working with you, you know. Help me roll these over there, we need to find Kellick."

  Rill and Canno stood on the battlement watching the approaching horde slowly fill the horizon. Close enough now for Rill to see tiny black banners in their thousands waving over the dark mass of people that crawled ever closer.

  Coming at us like a storm’s shadow.

  The sharp notes of Ja deist's republican horns sounded first, followed shortly after by an answering deafening shriek crossing the plain from the approaching army. A sound so high pitched it made the hairs on Rill's neck stand on edge.

  "There's more than two hundred thousand there." Canno said.

  "Aye."

  "Like a million."

  "No not that many. Two fifty, maybe three."

  "We're still fucked."

  "Aye."

  They looked around at their men, nervously holding spears, watching the coming dark wave. Rill could see the whites of their knuckles on those closest to him as they grabbed their weapons tighter.

  "Here he comes, Captain wonder." Canno said with eyes down on the street below. Kellick was making his way to the battlements followed by a pair of guards, the two mages and some young city boys who had found themselves requisitioned as runners. Far behind the approaching group, on the buildings further in the city, Rill could see distant citizens franticly finishing their preparations. Piling stone, brick and anything else they could find onto the tops of the buildings to use later when the hungry horde reached this far into the city. Others were rushing to barricade as many alleys and passageways as possible to extend Kellick's defence in depth. That far back though, the lines were hopelessly thin. Everything serviceable from wagons to doors and gates had been taken already, most of it used for Kellick's second ring of urban fortifications.

  What they're doing is pointless. By the time they have come half that distance, we've had it. They will surround us and gain the roofs. Kellick's last holdout will buy us a day. If there's enough hands left to protect it that is.

  "Why don't you like him?"

  "I do, it's just..."

  "What?"

  "I've just been thinking. We ain’t going to get out of this one, Rill. He could have withdrawn us weeks ago. Made up any reason."

  "And leave the city to them?" His friend said pointing to the horizon's billowing dust clouds with his sword. Wailing bone horns and the faintest sound of drums continued to sound, travelling the league or so between them.

  Unnerving. They look more… Organised than I would have imagined. They’re marching with discipline.

  "They're good people. You're just scared Canno, admit it."

  "Aye, I am that. We're going to die here."

  "If that’s our fate, we should go out with some style. You're not going to let a few skinny fanatics cut you down without paying the toll, are you?"

  Canno looked at his friend then, seeming to consider something.

  There we go Canno, focus this anger you have been carrying for so long on these savages. If it's time to meet the maker, let it be covered every inch in our enemy’s blood, short sword still swinging.

  "Didn't think of it like that." Canno said looking mischievous now.

  "And?"

  "Let's have it!" He said through bared teeth before looking back over the battlements with more focused eyes. "I ain’t dying until I’ve taken a hundred. Nay, a thousand."

  Rill laughed punching his friends arm gently. “That’s the spirit, Canno”. He said before shouting loud enough for everyone that side of the wall to hear. "You hear that boys?" Rill boomed, "Canno said he's not dying until he's taken a thousand of these filthy animals to the after life with him. Who can beat that? Two thousand?"

  Only a few men on the wall reacted positively, almost all Pikes and Ravens. Most of Canno and Rill's citizen squads shuffled nervously, not able to take their eyes off the growing darkness drawing closer.

  "Everything okay Lieutenant?" Kellick asked as he appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the wall from the inner road below.

  "Yes sir, we're just talking about how easily those bastards are going to die today." Rill replied loud enough for everyone to hear again.

  At least it sounded confident.

  "Very easily lieutenant, they will be shitting themselves seeing you men. Don't let the first ones up here trick you. Most of them have nothing more than a stick. They weren't expecting anything except the town garrison and now they've got armoured warriors on every wall, forged steel weapons and Canno over there to contend with."

  Everyone started laughing this time. The professional soldiers raising the volume. They had played this game before.

  "Let them hear it boys!" Rill shouted. "Let them hear you laugh!"

  The men’s roaring laughter moved to cheers and the Ravens almost in complete unison started their war dance. Reserved mostly for ceremonial purposes, it's symphony was electric. For the briefest of moments, the men on the wall of Ja Deist, awaiting their death, felt exhilarated.

  Kellick winked at Rill before walking eastwards to a pike officer standing near a tower with a handful of infantry. The others along the wall either side of him started copying the Raven's dance, banging their feet together on the stonework and chanting as loudly as they could. The wall vibrated below Rill and he wasn't sure if they might end up destroying the ancient stonework before the Shaa had a chance to.

  Kellick's right about one thing, they will be second guessing themselves hearing this. Rill thought, as he watched the Captain talk to the officer and listened to the beautiful music of a defiant city, rejecting the fate it had been given. He joined the chant shouting and banging his foot more enthusiastically than even Canno.

  Fuck you Jaro. Whether we die here or not we're going to haunt you.

  Kellick winked at Rill as he moved past him along the line of soldiers on the southern battlement. They parted for the Captain, most nodding to the man and occasionally voicing words of respect.

  Well done Rill, they needed that.

  "Have a moment?"

  "All the time in the world, Captain." The pike officer said sarcastically.

  "I'm pleased for you. I want you to make it clear again to your Pikes that we withdraw together. We're going to do it nice and tidy. Fight defensively, no heroics up here okay. The wall is not the battle ground. Your men need to conserve their energy, let the citizens use their hooks to grapple with the ladders and wait until they are nearly over the si
de before you skewer them. Spread out and trap them in pockets. Easy targets for the Raven's over there with their bows. Dead enemy bodies over that side of the wall".

  "What about our men?"

  "We burn them later. I won't let our fallen feed those animals."

  "Yes, sir. What if they don't come this side?"

  "Split off units to follow them wherever they concentrate and mass either side of their ladder placements. Don't worry about the gate, there's nothing much you can do from up here anyway. Take your time and hold most of your men back out of sight in the roads, I want them to think their first probe could have succeeded if they had sent more. Make them commit to hitting us on this side again. Whatever happens just kill as many as you can without too many casualties and lure them back to main street or muddlers way when they start to overwhelm a section. Understood?"

  "Yes, Captain."

  "Excellent, glad to have you with us."

  The Pike officer nodded as Kellick walked further along the walls, stopping occasionally with different men, giving final pieces of advice and instructions. When he had walked far enough for the ranks of spearmen and archers to thin, he entered a straight edged arrow tower and took the ladder up to the firing deck on the roof. Six archers and three spear men acknowledged him, giving the officer space on the parapet to watch the coming tide.

  The horde was still too far away for Kellick to make out individual figures or whatever devices had been painted on the black banners waving above the columns, but he could see they were not stopping. The flanks spanned out like arms, beginning to reach around the city, tearing up the desert into a curtain of dust that Kellick knew would slowly envelop them. The mass of bodies widened as quickly as it approached and Kellick realised the Shaa might just throw his forces at the walls.

  If they come around us at once... The northern districts are completely defenceless.

  "Get word to the officers over…” He pointed “…to move their men into place on the east and north walls." He said to one of the guards with him. "In fact, get everyone not doing something important to get on them. Spread out at much as possible and follow the arc of their encirclement. Make it look like we have more there than in the south. They need to return to their positions on the inner rings when the time comes."