Lord Romley thought it strange how just one small breakthrough could have such a vast influence on the entire battle. No sooner had the southern area capitulated than the rest of the defensive line seemed to follow suit. Hundreds of enemy troops seemed to sense the fight was lost and rather than prolong it any longer than was necessary, they turned around and ran instead. It was quickly apparent these were not hardened, experienced soldiers he was fighting, and more likely many were conscripts told to hold the line. Happy that victory was now a foregone conclusion, Lord Romley turned his horse and slowly trotted it down the embankment towards the main road. The line Lord Elthan had hoped to hold across the narrow strip of land was already taken, and the resistance he had hoped would last for many days, perhaps even weeks had barely lasted more than a couple of hours. With the enemy in full retreat, Lord Romley could now turn his attention to the larger prize of Bargsea and move swiftly that direction to assist Lord Dalby, whom he hoped was already making progress on that front.
Chapter 13.A Sneaky way in.
Lord Dalby had made his successful landing during the early hours of the morning. Before the sun had risen his small flotilla of rowing boats had ferried hundreds of his soldiers on to the beaches near Bargsea. Under cover of darkness, and reliant on the low tide, a force of one hundred men had split from the main group and headed for the caves that they now knew gave them access to the Endallen capital. This force, led by one of the lesser lords of The Casillian Isle, a man by the name of Dillon Dalby and relation to the major nobleman of the area.
Making their way across the beach and into the cave that had been singled out as the one to give them access to the large town up on the hill above them. However, being as this particular tunnel and access point allegedly brought them out into an area that was likely to be crawling with Endallen guards and soldiers, for now, this particular force needed to bide its time. Moving so many men through the narrow, dark tunnel was not as straight forward as they had hoped. Using torches that they had brought ashore, the tunnel was narrow and very restricting, allowing for only for a single file of men. Thankfully, once they were off the beach and into the cave, they were not in any great hurry to be where they needed to get to. Although playing a part on the planned attack, this group needed to keep their heads low and bide their time until signalled to make themselves known.
Lord Dalby, after making sure his other force had made it to the caves, had then moved the remainder of those ashore off the beach and up the hillside. Hopefully away from the prying eyes of those patrolling the walls of Bargsea, they‘d needed to move quickly and silently while the darkness still gave them the anonymity they needed for their plan to work. Thankfully, a random copse of trees that looked somewhat out of place amid the rolling fields surrounding Bargsea was easy to find, and once Lord Dalby and his men were able to use the trees as cover, he had ordered them to start their search for the entrance.
Blindly fumbling around on the woodland floor, among the undergrowth finding a hidden entrance had not been easy. As a matter of fact, it had taken over an hour of searching before one of his men had discovered what they had been told was there. A small hatch, barely big enough for a man to squeeze through led down into the darkness below. While some of his men had seemed uncertain of going in, Lord Dalby had taken it upon himself to lead by example and be one of the first to head down into the unknown. Going only on the say-so of the message they had received from Miranor, Lord Dalby knew the risks they were taking were great. If the information was not as they had been told, they could well be heading to their deaths.
Having managed to get this far, Lord Dalby was glad when the end of the tunnel was in sight. Strewn with cobwebs, it was quite evident that nobody had used the route for some time. The flames of their torches and lamps flickered off the dark stone walls as Lord Dalby and those nearer the front emerged from the tunnel into what could only be described as a cellar type room. Large enough for about twenty people, there was only one way to proceed further, and that was upwards via a rickety-looking ladder. If the information they had been given was correct, those same steps would lead up into the stable within the inner keep, Lord Elthan’s home. For now, Lord Dalby needed a few moments to rest up, and then pass the message back down to the long line of soldiers still in the tunnel system behind him for them to prepare to move with haste. Once he and those with him had made the short trip up into the stable, the others needed to join them as soon as possible.
“Ready?” Lord Dalby asked to those in the very overcrowded room with him. A series of nodding heads gave the answer he was looking for, and he duly headed up the first steps, unsure of what or who might be waiting for them the other side. The hinges on the hatch were rusted, and it took a good amount of effort to force the opening. Emitting a loud creaking sound, Lord Dalby hoped it didn’t draw any unwanted attention his way. Peering gingerly through the opening of the gap he had created he could tell immediately that he was in a stable. The smell was a familiar one although there was no horse present in this particular stall. Instead, there appeared to be a pile of old horse blankets, a discarded saddle and a few buckets, indicating that perhaps this particular part of the stable was used just for storage.
As quietly, but as quickly as he could, Lord Dalby made his way up and out of the hatch opening to allow those behind to make their own way through. Drawing his sword and crouching down he peered along the length of the building to look for signs of life. Thankfully, all he saw were a few bobbing heads of the animals being housed in their individual pens.
“Seems clear,” he said to the first man to join him.
“Secure this building. We then move straight for the keep gates and secure them. I’ll take a smaller force into the main keep and give Lord Elthan a nice early morning surprise,” Lord Dalby said.
Feeling the adrenaline pumping and his heartbeat quickening, the nobleman watched on a several of his men scoured the rest of the stable block as dozens more lined up behind him as they made their own way through the hatch. Knowing the next part of their planned attack was the most dangerous and one that would very likely see at least some fighting, he wanted to make sure that as many men as possible were with him before continuing further. However, as all best-laid plans often suffered at least one hitch, so this one was to be no different.
The main door to the stable opened up, and two young men wandered inside. Clearly both stablehands, they were so engrossed in their conversation that they initially didn’t notice dozens of soldiers standing in front of them. A strange, almost surreal moment followed whereby both the two young men and the soldiers appeared frozen in time, neither moving, only looking at the other. Thankfully, at least for Lord Dalby, his men reacted first and grabbed the two men before they had a chance to turnabout and raise the alarm. Hurriedly grappled to the stable floor, both of the men were bound and gagged.
“My fight is not with you. Be quiet, do not resist and you will be unharmed. Understand?” Lord Dalby said to the pair of them as they were ushered into one of the other empty stalls. Probably no more than about fifteen or sixteen years of age, both nodded their heads that they understood. Clearly frightened, both did as were asked and shuffled up into a corner and sat as requested. Just in case, Lord Dalby asked one man to keep an eye on them, before making his own way to the main stable entrance.
“Ready?” he asked the man to his right.
“Yes, My Lord. I’ll take the gate and secure it so no reinforcements can get in.”
“Good luck,” Lord Dalby replied puffing his cheeks out and exhaling as he prepared himself for a fight.
The sun was not yet fully up although it was just about light enough to see. The yard surrounding the keep was thankfully empty as Lord Dalby quickly hurried towards the main entrance. Surprised that there were no guards on duty, he waited for his men to group up at the main doors. While he prepared to make his way inside, the second group hurried to the small stone building that housed the guards controlling the gateway into
the keep yard. Caught by surprise the four men on duty were overpowered with the minimum of effort, although two of which had tried to put up a fight. Without further delay, the portcullis that protected the keep was lowered and the secondary gates closed for added security. With most of Lord Elthan’s soldiers probably concentrating on the outer wall and defence of his capital, there was little reason for him to think anything more than his usual guard would not be sufficient to hold his keep.
Without delay, Lord Dalby’s men continued pouring out of the stable block and spreading out to their predefined positions. Some headed towards the gate, while others headed up the stone steps to the keep wall, in preparation of Bargsea’s soldiers trying to come to the aid of their Lord. The keep, as with most of the buildings of its type was far different from when it had originally been built. Now extended to accommodate and allow a luxurious lifestyle, the building was probably not as secure as it had once been intended. Originally built to withstand intruders and to provide its residents a last safe haven should the outer walls ever be breached, practicality had been replaced with decadence.
Lord Dalby afforded a smile as he noted that the entrance doors, which would have ordinarily been thick, iron-studded timber, were now nothing more than ornate entrances with large areas of stained glass. As pretty as they looked, they would prove no problem as far as keeping him and his men out of the building. Knowing the noise some of his men were causing would ultimately draw the attraction of the guards from inside, Lord Dalby checked his soldiers were ready and ordered the doors shoved open. Despite the troubles, it seemed Lord Elthan deemed himself safe and far away from danger as the front doors were not even locked. The two guards on duty in the foyer got the shock of their lives as Lord Dalby’s men burst through the opening and quickly headed off in different directions. Both guards were quickly and very efficiently dealt with, and neither had a chance to draw their sword or so much as shout a warning.
Lord Dalby assumed that his target would be up the main staircase, and after grabbing a member of the house staff, he had that theory confirmed. With twelve men around him, the uncle of the king charged across the landing to where two more guards were positioned. While both had time to draw their swords and attempt to make a fight of it, being outnumbered meant their attempt was little more than a futile gesture. By the time both had been dealt with, Lord Dalby turned to the door of the room they were guarding and was somewhat surprised when it opened. A man he recognised appeared, dressed in no more than a night gown.
“What is going on out here?” the man shouted, before suddenly stopping as it dawned upon him exactly what was happening.
“Ah! Lord Elthan, how good of you to show your face. In the name of the king, I place you under arrest. Instruct all your men to stand down and relinquish their weapons, and they will not be harmed.”
“Dalby!... But how did you get in here?” Lord Elthan gasped still unsure as to how his home had been so quickly overrun.
Lord Elthan was in so much shock that he barely resisted when two of Lord Dalby’s men grabbed his arms and bound them behind his back. A somewhat bemused young female, probably no more than a teenager appeared just behind Lord Elthan, “Oh! Are we finished then my Lord?” She asked.
Lord Dalby quickly averted his eyes as the young lady was completely naked. “Good grief child put some clothes on. Yes…what ever you and he were doing is over,” he replied.
Both Lord Elthan and the young girl were ordered back into the room, as Lord Dalby felt somewhat disgusted by the thought of what the pair of them had been up to. The girl was probably younger than his own daughter, Clarissa, and the idea that a much older man had been taking advantage of her sickened him. Before he could dwell on the thought for too much longer, Lord Dalby’s attention was drawn to the sound of fighting, somewhere outside the room.
“Order your men to stand down!” he snapped, quickly coming to his senses.
“And what if I don’t?” Lord Elthan replied, looking somewhat smug, despite his current predicament.
“Then they will all die. I’m only trying to save innocent lives,” Lord Dalby replied ordering his men to drag their prisoner back towards the door.
“Ha! You mean you wish to save your own men. How many have you turned up with? Sneaked in with just a handful I’ll wager?”
“More than you realise,” Lord Dalby replied shoving the man out into the corridor beyond. “Now order your men to drop their weapons, or I will kill you.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Lord Elthan snickered.
“Try me! I have the authority from the king to do so if I feel it is necessary,” Lord Dalby replied, slowly drawing his sword and holding the point towards Lord Elthan’s neck.
The small skirmish on the landing and the stairs ceased, the moment Lord Elthan ordered his soldiers to stand down. Having been alerted by the intruders, a group of about fifteen had managed to make their way up the stairs in a bid to rescue their lord. However, they had not counted on the vast numbers now swarming all through the Endallen lord’s home. While both sides had inflicted some casualties on the other, thankfully the numbers were only small, at least as far as Lord Dalby was concerned. As the clatter of falling swords hitting the floor ceased, Lord Elthan’s guards were rounded up and taken away. Lord Dalby gave them his assurance they would not be harmed so long as they behaved and caused no further trouble.
Dillon Dalby felt he had waited long enough, and now ready to make his first move, he duly divided some of his group up into smaller sections. With six men in each, he sent four such groups up from the cellar and out into Bargsea to scout and retrieve information. Ensuring each man had removed anything that might have indicated them coming from the house of Dalby, the men headed off in various directions, all with a task to do before returning within the hour. Dillon, whose father was Lord Dalby’s cousin was a young man with promise and one who was confident in his abilities to lead. Smart and aware of the dangers posed to his men, Dillon wanted good, reliable intelligence before allowing the remainder of the soldiers he was leading out into the open.
Waiting patiently for each group to return, Dillon learned that the gates to Bargsea were open, although heavily guarded. This, he knew could change at a moments notice and that the moment any signs of danger appeared from outside the walls, they would be closed. The main garrison in Bargsea was surprisingly undermanned, perhaps a sign that Lord Elthan had not expected the forces of the king to get as far as they had so quickly. Dillon pondered a moment as he attempted to calculate what he knew. Maybe Lord Elthan was expecting a few of the other nobles to reinforce his home, all in due course, while the bulk of the Endallen troops held off the main thrust of their attack? However, the most important piece of information he received was good news. The main keep and home of Lord Elthan were now under the control of Lord Dalby, as one of his men had spotted two red squares of material tied to the portcullis. While this would probably be meaningless to anybody else walking past the entrance, to Dillon, it was a signal that the man they were attacking was in custody.
With all his scouts having returned, Dillon Dalby ordered the remainder of his men out of the cellar. As he marched his long line of troops up the main street, he thought how surreal it was that nobody actually paid them anything more than a curious glance. Bereft of flags, banners or tabards indicating exactly who they were, to any of the other soldiers or citizens of Bargsea they were probably just reinforcements ordered up from the southern lords to help defend against the attacking forces of the king. Of course, had anyone actually stopped to ask him, this would have been his cover story anyway, but, as it was, he and all his men marched unopposed up the main thoroughfare towards the main keep to join up with those already inside.
Chapter 14.Barely even a fight.
By dusk on the first day of fighting, Lord Romley had been pleasantly surprised by just how much ground he had made. While the initial struggle and push against the defensive lines set up to hold him back had seen a small number
of losses, once they had been breached, the enemy had capitulated. While many simply turned about and fled, others, appeared only too happy to turn themselves in and surrender.
It hadn’t taken long for Lord Romley to discover that many of the men he captured were little more than conscripts, suggesting that Lord Elthan did not have the vast armies everybody had always assumed he had. Perhaps they were stretched to thinly or positioned elsewhere, but as for the narrow strip of land that was supposed to be the best place to hold back the advance, most of those captured were civilians forced to fight. To say that had always been the case would be incorrect, as along the line Lord Romley had attacked, reports had come back of intense fighting, suggesting that there were at least some small pockets of professional soldiers among the enemy. Whatever the reason for the quality of men opposing him, Lord Romley was just glad that the all-important breakthrough had been made at a relatively low cost. While he would have liked to have pushed on towards Bargsea, having such a large army meant everything moved along at a much slower pace than he would have liked.
Although the breakthrough had occurred quite early in the battle, smaller clashes had continued through the morning and afternoon as some of those further along the defensive line fought on. As nice as it would have been to push on towards his primary target, Lord Romley knew that he couldn’t afford to merely bypass any large pockets of enemy soldiers. Breaking the camp he had used the previous evening and relocating it to a new location several miles inside Endallen was a time-consuming process. Finding a suitable place to do so was also not as easy as he had first hoped, knowing that it needed to be somewhere defensible should the forces of Endallen regroup and try a counter-attack.
The Battle for Endallen Page 13
