They rode on quickly through the cobbled city streets, which were nearly deserted as all the merchants had closed up for the day. The horses headed for the castle situated near the middle of the western wall of the city. They were able to keep to the main roads as the castle was connected to all the city gates by main roads, and therefore it wasn't long before the large structure was looming up before them.
The castle itself was separated from the city by high walls, with the western-most wall doubling up as the outside wall of the city. There was only one gate allowing access to the castle and that was on the eastern-most wall. The large iron gate was heavily guarded, with archers and crossbowmen stationed in turrets on top of the wall, and soldiers armed with a mix of halberds and long swords blocking the entrance. Everyone entering the gate was thoroughly searched both physically and magically before being admitted into the citadel. Gerard, Jeff, and their sons were no exception. The fathers were, however, allowed to hold onto their weapons.
They were escorted by two guards on either side leading their horses' right up to the large stone steps which led up into the public throne room, where the duke would reside for an hour or so each day to listen to complaints and such from the citizens of Arthea.
The castle was a large stone structure built from the rocks of Stonecutters Defile. It had many great spires throughout with orange tiled roofs. The largest of the spires in the centre of the castle was part of the original structure, which was mainly used as a lookout tower when orc attacks were more frequent. Near the top of this spire were large open windows on all sides, affording the soldiers stationed there a far-reaching view. The other smaller spires of the castle and the structure around them were later built on as the city expanded and were more for appearance than any defensive purposes. They mainly consisted of guest rooms for important visitors and servants' quarters. Off to the right hand side of the castle was a separate large structure which was the barracks, used to house all the soldiers in the Arthean army. It was a spider web like structure with many wings to it, which all connected to the central hub - a hexagonal shaped building five stories high. In between the wings of the barracks were large compounds which were used for the training of the soldiers. To the left of the castle were the stables and storage buildings.
The men and the two boys were instructed to dismount and hand their horses over to the stable boy where they would be looked after until they were ready to depart. The guards then led them up the stairs and introduced them to the man at the top, standing in front of two big solid oak doors.
"Who seeks audience with the duke?" asked the attendant.
"We are mere farmers living to the north. We come with urgent news for the duke. My name is Gerard Etkins, and this is my son, Vik. This man is Jeff Gullansworth along with his son, Trent. Myself and Jeff served in the army for many years and are well known to Duke Angus."
"I will decide whether the matter is urgent or not. That is not for a simple farmer to decide. Now state your news and I will position you in the queue as I see fit," said the overzealous attendant. Gerard knew full well that there was no queue, for the duke only made himself available for an hour each morning to deal with civilian issues. But he also knew that it was pointless bringing that to the attention to this self-important man. He was obviously a sticky nose wanting to find out as much information as he could with the intention of selling that information later to the highest bidder perhaps, although unlikely as he would be heavily watched to avoid such things.
"What I have to say is for the duke's ears only. It is up to him who he shares this information with. If you'd kindly inform him that Gerard Etkins is here to see him, I would appreciate it."
"The duke is currently in conference and is not to be disturbed. Per-haps if you return tomorrow morning, I'm sure he will take the time to see you then," said the attendant quite forcefully, obviously enjoying his power.
"The news I have may very well require immediate action. I would not like to be in your boots if the duke found out that you prevented audience to someone with information regarding the immediate security of the duchy, or perhaps the entire kingdom." The attendant stared at Gerard for a moment, barely controlling his anger. The guard behind Gerard then spoke up, "C'mon, Bertraud, let the men through, they have a reputation in the Arthean army. I assure you that if they say they have important information, then important information they have."
"Very well," said Bertraud through gritted teeth. "Follow me."
He led the men and their sons into the castle and turned immediately to the left down a long tiled corridor. Halfway down that corridor, they followed him into a small room through an arch doorway on the right; an obvious waiting room for less important guests. Long wooden benches were positioned down each side of the room; a small, short wooden table in the centre of the room with a vase of fresh flowers sitting atop were the only furnishing in this room. "Please wait here while I see if the duke wishes to see you," said Bertraud in a tone that suggested he was less than impressed with the prospect of interrupting the busy duke. They all quickly took a seat, glad for the brief respite.
A short time later Bertraud returned and said, "The duke will see you briefly. He is not happy at being disturbed stating it as being 'a huge inconvenience.'"
"Running a duchy on the borders of a kingdom surrounded by hostile neighbours is full of huge inconveniences, I'm sure," said Jeff, unable to resist a dig at the attendant. Bertraud turned and shot him a dark look but said nothing and continued to lead the way. Gerard looked at his friend and gave him a sly smile, while the boys were just in awe of their surroundings, trying to take as much in as possible. He led them through a series of corridors and up a flight of spiralled stairs until he came to a room with a closed wooden door. He knocked on the door softly, waited for a response and then opened it and took a step into the room. "I present to you, my lord, Ger..."
"I know who they are, Bertraud. Show them in and return to your post. I will ensure they find their way back out again."
"Yes m'lord," said Bertraud as he stepped back out of the room, faced Gerard and said, "The duke will see you now." He then proceeded to storm off down the corridor, giving the men one last dark look on his way.
"I apologise for the disturbance, m'lord duke, but I felt it was neces-sary you hear what I have to say," said Gerard respectfully.
"Of course you did, Gerry, I know you wouldn't disturb me over a minor disagreement with your neighbour, who is also here, I see. Now, speak freely and tell me of this urgent matter."
"M'lord, we have discovered an orc incursion in Bilwarks Grove."
"Bilwarks Grove?" the Duke bellowed. "There has been no orcs seen there for many years, Gerry, and the western road is constantly patrolled. How could orcs have possibly managed to make it that far north without detection?"
"M'lord, these are not normal orcs. I know not where they come from, but our boys here are eyewitnesses to the magic that brought them here."
"Magic? Are you sure your boys don't just have a wild imagination, Gerry?"
"I am sure, m'lord. Jeff and I fought two of these orcs. They were both my size and build, and wielded great axes the average man couldn't even lift. Show him the axe, Jeff." Jeff stepped forward and it was the first time the duke noticed how large the axe was that Jeff held in his hands.
"Perhaps you should tell me the entire story," said the duke studying the axe, "from its beginning."
"Vik, could you please relate your story to the duke." Vik was so nervous being this close to the duke, and at being so heavily scrutinised by eyes that seemed to penetrate to your very soul. The duke was a middle aged man of average build but very much above average looks. His dark black hair held patches of grey throughout that only seemed to enhance his appearance rather than diminish it. Even though he was average build, it could be seen by a cursory glance that he was well muscled, and he held himself with a sense of confidence that would make any mighty warrior think twice about attacking the man. His d
ark brown eyes were intense but held an enormous amount of wisdom within, and appeared to miss nothing. As intense as they were, there was a friendliness there that made him approachable and well liked among the populace. Women would often entertain ideas about being with the man, but knew it was an impossible eventuality as he was entirely faithful and committed to his wife, the Duchess Zorina. He sat behind his large oak desk in his meeting room, patiently waiting for Vik to begin his tale. Vik took a deep breath, took a tentative step forward, straightened his back and pulled back his shoulders. Looking the duke straight in the eyes with as much confidence as he could muster, he began to tell him the events of the day. The duke listened patiently and without interruption. When Vik was finished, the duke sat back in his high backed chair and remained silent as he let the story sink in. Finally he looked up at Gerard, who, despite being a farmer for the past fifteen years, still stood like a soldier. "So if I understand this story correctly we have at least eight very large orcs residing in Bilwarks Grove, likely forward scouts for an unknown army situated who knows where, with an unknown intent, although obviously a hostile one, with a magical doorway allowing them unhindered access to Bilwarks Grove. By now they will know that there is hostiles in the area as two of their scouts fail to return. Does that about sum it up, Gerry?
"Yes, m'lord. I couldn't have summed it up better myself."
"This is a large inconvenience. I'm going to level with you, Gerry, and this information is not to leave this room, understood?" All confirmed that they understood and the duke continued, "This intrusion could not have come at a worse time. You are all no doubt aware of the recent orc attacks on Arthea itself. Not for eighteen years has the defence of this city been tested as what it was in the latest raid. Gerry, Jeff, you both know first-hand about the breach in our walls from the orcs eighteen years ago as you were both instrumental in eventually repelling that invasion."
"I remember that well, m'lord. The aches in my right thigh and shoulder remind me often."
"That's right. You were almost killed in that battle, weren't you, Jeff? I had only been given the duty as the duke of Arthea one year prior to that battle. I was forced to learn quickly about the city's defence. Anyway, scouts have reported that orc numbers in the Ki'hara Mountains have swelled. It also appears as though a number of large orc tribes have joined forces. We believe that a full scale assault of Arthea is imminent. Our numbers are stretched. We have pulled as many soldiers as we dare out of Fort Lowmount. Kimberly has sent us all they can spare, and even Yulon has sent some reinforcements. I need every soldier possible in or close by Arthea for the inevitable attack. So this news you bring to me is grim indeed. Have you any suggestions, Gerard?"
"M'lord, I feel that the orcs and the magical doorway in Bilwarks Grove need to be dealt with swiftly. If we can destroy these new orcs and close that door to prevent more coming, then it won't be a problem. If you could spare a company and a few of your best wizards, I'm sure the problem could be resolved in a matter of days."
"That's all well and good, Gerry, but if the Ki'harran orcs attack within those two days, I'm not only one hundred men down but also a captain. We are very short on experienced captains. Let me discuss this with General Kehar. I thank you men for bringing this information to my attention. Will you be heading home tonight or would you like me to have a room prepared?"
"We dare not leave our families alone for too long after what we have seen today, M'lord. We will be heading straight home. Can I just add that if you need some extra men to investigate this orc incursion, my sword is yours."
"As is mine," added Jeff. Vik was about to speak up before receiving a slap across the back of his head from his father and a stern look. Duke Angus noticed this and a smile found a way to his face.
"Thank you, gentlemen. I may just take you up on that offer. Now I must return to this conference, which perchance happens to include the general as well as Master Pilk." The duke led them out of the room and called a nearby attendant to escort them to the front doors of the castle. Bertraud was back in his position, but said nothing as they walked down the stairs and waited for their horses to be brought around. No sooner had the horses arrived, than an attendant came running down the stairs asking them to halt. When he stood before them, he said, "The duke requests your attendance in the conference room at once."
"He could have told us a bit earlier. We just came from near there. Could've saved us a walk," said Jeff. Gerard shot him a sly grin as the men started to follow the attendant back up the stairs. The attendant told the stable boy to keep their horses handy.
* * *
The third group of scouts returned. "What news concerning the south?" asked Feygrus.
"Very little. The trees clear only a short distance away, opening up into a huge rocky area. Travel was hard and we made little progress. From the top of a large cliff we could see a river in the distance, but between that cliff and the river, we could see no obvious way to go. Although we did not spend much time looking as the half hour was up and we knew we had some small cliffs we had to climb in order to return. We noticed no sign of intelligent life."
"Very well. Go help the others make camp. The sun has moved low in the western sky. Only Bekka and Kilgore are to return." The orc scout ran off to help set up camp as Zether approached. "Bekka and Kilgore are well overdue, scout master. Should I report what we know to the fierce one?"
"Not just yet. We will give them some more time. If they do not return by the time we have set up camp, I'll send you back to report what we know."
"Yes, scout master."
It was almost another half hour before the orcs had prepared camp. Trees were felled, rocks were moved and trenches dug. There was still a lot of work to be done before the orc company would come through. The two remaining orc scouts had not returned. "Zether," yelled Feygrus, "go report to the fierce one what we know. Inform him of the missing scouts and let him know that I am personally going to investigate their disappearance along with three others."
"As you wish, scout master," said Zether. He ran off at once toward the magic gate, and then slowed before stepping through it.
"Gunther, you are now in charge until I return. Continue to prepare this area as much as you can until night falls."
"Yes, scout master," said Gunther.
"Bigroth, Seagrid and Ki'janna, come with me. Let's find out what trouble our fearless scouts got into." The four orcs set out to the east.
The sky was afire with a bright red sunset as the four orcs reached the edge of the grove with no sign of the missing scouts, with the exception of the foot prints and broken branches they left behind. Feygrus was disgusted at how easily these orcs were to track. Bekka and Kilgore were only newly appointed to his scout team, replacing two orcs he lost in a recent mission. Already he knew the orcs lacked the discipline and skills he expected from his scouts. If he found them alive, he would have to start working hard on these new recruits, bringing them up to the standard he expected from all under his control. Feygrus prided himself on having the best scouts in the Black Skull tribe. These two had obviously trounced through the trees with no care at all. He knew that any one of his other scouts could have hidden anywhere in the path of these two and not been seen.
Looking at the ground now on the edge of the grove, Feygrus could already guess as to what had happened. The two orcs had obviously stood around for a short while, most likely talking loudly as to their next actions. The discussion either had something to do with something they saw or it was a result of their loud talk that was the reason for their being discovered. Either way, these two reckless slimes had set off at a run toward their target. Feygrus assumed that since they had not returned, the ensuing battle had been lethal to his scouts.
"What now, scout leader?" asked Bigroth, who had obviously come to the same conclusion.
"We must discover their fates as well as the damage they may have done to our tribe's overall mission, so that we can make an accurate report to the fierce one."
That being said, Feygrus set off as stealthily as possible in this wide open field, and the three others followed along behind him.
It was not long before they came to the battle scene where the two orcs were slaughtered. "Experienced warriors," said Ki'janna matter of factly. "Quick killing blows." Feygrus nodded his agreement. It was obvious that this fight was a short one and was only ever going to yield one result. What interested Feygrus, though, was the third set of tracks. Some smaller attackers came in from behind the orcs, from the direction of the grove.
"Someone knows we're here," said Feygrus. "They possibly even know the location of the gate. Bigroth, Seagrid, I want you both to follow these other prints to their source. Me and Ki'janna are going to spy out these attackers." Bigroth and Seagrid set out at once, and Feygrus and Ki'janna continued on to the north east, toward Gerard's farmhouse.
* * *
Elly took the pot of boiling water off the stovetop.
"Another cup, Adrianna?"
"I'd love one," Adrianna replied. Marley had been sent to Adrianna to inform her of what had happened and where her husband was now. Not wanting to be alone after hearing the news, she accompanied Marley back home. "I still can't believe orcs were so close to us. Bilwarks Grove has been clear of orcs almost as long as I've been alive. What are we going to do?"
"We'll wait until Gerard and Jeff return and tell us what the duke plans on doing about them. They'll be back anytime now. Marley, can you fetch the sugar out of the cupboard, please?" Marley went to get the sugar as Elly poured the hot water into cups with choco powder in them.
The Gate - A New Breed of Orc (The Gate Series Book 1) Page 3
