Gareth Ogilvie The Great Sea King

by J W Murison

  ‘Let me go, let me die.’

  ‘Not a chance.’

  ‘I will hurt you.’

  ‘No you won’t.’

  She hissed, ‘I will.’

  ‘No you won’t.’ Graun took the knife from her hands and walked away.

  She followed, ‘you have no right to stop me.’

  ‘I’ll do what I want and you aren’t to die.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because that's the way Gareth wants it, you know Gareth the King.’

  ‘He’s not my King.’

  ‘Were you born in these lands?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then he is your King.’

  ‘I am an Eagle.’

  They had reached Gareth and he walked over and placed his hand on her head. The connection was instant; she heard the voice of the Eagle King in her head. Her eyes closed in a form of bliss. Gareth had also heard the words. He dropped his hands.

  ‘What did he say?’ he asked her.

  ‘That any Eagle born on your lands shall come under your rule as you are related to him by blood.’

  ‘As you seem to have no wish to return to your own lands then you belong to me.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘You just tried to kill yourself.’

  ‘I have been spoiled.’

  ‘I know.’ He pointed to her companions, ‘they told my wife and she told me. It would seem it brings a certain kind of stigma amongst your people. The unbearable shame blah blah blah. But you are not the only one who has had to bear the burden of shame, I to have carried the weight of it on my shoulders for many years now. They are different, my shame and yours but each was thrust upon us unwillingly and I can assure you that yours will bring much more sympathy than mine did.’

  ‘I want no one’s sympathy Sire, I just wish to die and turn to dust.’

  ‘Do you know the story of Juliana; they called her the silver Eagle.’

  ‘No Sire.’

  ‘I read about her in your archives, an Eagle woman who when young was captured by a band of roving bandits and used and abused for weeks before gaining her freedom. It broke her, what do you call it?’

  ‘Agiliea Sire.’

  ‘That's right, your ability to form a lasting life long bond to one mate.’

  ‘Yes Sire.’

  ‘She recovered from her ordeal and offered her services as a spy for your King; she became most gifted and served her Kingdom well. She became very famous in her day, celebrated even, and eventually settled down with one of your own kind. She had many children and was raised from the daughter of a humble steward to a lady of note. Her children kept the rank she had won for them until the end of the Eagle era. I will be blunt, I need someone like that on my team but I will not force it upon you. Give me your oath right now that you will not try and harm yourself and I will release you to do as you please for three months. At the end of that time I wish an answer. If you still wish to die I will kill you with my own hands. It will be quick and painless I promise you that.’

  ‘What would I do for three months Sire, sit and stare at a wall wishing I was dead.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ he turned to Graun, ‘she is your charge now, keep her with you at all times and show her the ropes. If she accepts, it’s with your boys she’ll be working with anyway. Now we have a job to do.’ He hesitated, ‘what’s your name girl?’

  ‘Wynona Sire.’

  ‘Tell me Wynona, do you know the layout of the camp you were in and where the master keeps his ring of power.’

  ‘Yes Sire.’

  ‘Good, your first job will be to tell us where it is, we have a drawing of the camp, you can show us on it. Is everyone here dead Graun.’

  ‘Oh aye.’

  ‘Fine, let the horses go and we will return to the main camp and finish planning this fucking raid.’

  CHAPTER 20

  Despite her ordeal the girl was sharp and was quickly able to pinpoint on the drawings where everything was. Graun deliberately kept the other Eagles out of the loop to give the girl a sense of worth in the coming battle. One of the Eagle wives gave her a spare slip to put on. It was a little long for her and it made her look even younger, but all the men treated her with respect and listened with intent to her words.

  She was allowed to stay in the tent while they finished planning the attack. Gareth looked at the gathered men, ‘last time we went in at dawn and that turned into a bloody battle. This time we are going to do it differently. We will go in tonight under full cover of darkness. The Scouts will take out the sentry’s and the main force will head straight for the central compound. One team will head for the ring of power and the other will kill the owner. The rest of the men will take up positions in front of the central compound in case the alarm goes off. Beast you know your job, did you sharpen that old axe of yours?’

  ‘Aye Gareth I did.’

  ‘Excellent, now we only have two hundred men and they have at least a thousand between the centre and that shack town and each centre has about the same amount of men. If the alarm goes up before we are in we retreat immediately, if it goes up before we reach our objectives we turn around and run for our lives. Once we are there it will go up and we need to be quick, those of you who have attacked one of these places before know the urgency with which we must get that fucking ring of power cut. That is of the utmost priority. Once it is cut the men will cut and run, until then be prepared for the fight of your lives. Gentlemen, let’s go.’

  Miguel woke from a dreamless sleep, he thought he had heard a scream. There had been a lot of that the past few days as he had tried to make the Eagles transform. His eyes began to close again but a strange kind of thunder began to reach his ears and the ground seemed to tremble a little. Still half drunk he got up. The strange trembling got louder and he realised it was the sound of running feet. He came fully awake and opened his door. He didn't even have time to scream as he was pushed back into the room and a sword stroke split him in two. A half dozen chambers away The Beast was already beginning to swing his axe. A dozen guards managed to reach the Highland line before The Beast cut the ring. Those running towards them slid to a stop gathered their senses and ran for their lives. Gareth cut all the rings he could find and the Eagles began to transform. Many of them began to hunt down the guards in the night and the air was full of screams. His Eagles began to swarm in and soon had things in order.

  Gareth ordered a retreat and in short order they had all returned to the main camp. The Eagles were left there and the Highlanders moved to the next camp. It was hidden in a wooded vale and was easier to assault than the first. They were making good time. The third camp was set up differently than the first two. They killed the guards then had to look for the centre of the compound. It wasn’t long before the clash of arms began to raise the troops. Gareth was about to call a retreat when a voice called to him. ‘It’s over there the building with the white door.’

  It was a young golden woman and she looked like she had been abused, Gareth concentrated hard and was able to send an order to Melina which in turn was sent to Wynona. He led the assault into the building with the white door and found himself face to face with the biggest of Miguel’s sons. They came together in the middle of a hall. Gareth's great strength slowly pushed him back. The man was fast but Gareth matched him. Pushing him back into a room the man slipped on a rug and Gareth never hesitated, his claymore lunged forward and slid between the man’s collarbones right to his heart. When Gareth retrieved his sword the man was already dead. His falling corpse revealed a round bed with three women chained to it. They watched him with dead eyes.

  ‘Morning ladies,’ Gareth nodded and left them alone for the moment. The Beast had found the ring and was hacking lumps from it. Gareth rushed to the door where Graun was holding the line. Men smashed themselves into it in a wild frenzy but the line held and men died screaming. Suddenly they all stopped, shook their head and turned to run. The Highlanders suddenly charged, their pent up fur
y bursting forth, and massacred the running men. Graun gave them their head for five minutes them called them in. The night wasn’t over yet.

  Gareth found Wynona and led her to the bedchamber; where he released the women into her care. They all clung together for support for a moment. One of the girls led Wynona to another part of the compound where more abused women were caged. Here almost all of the Eagles had already transformed but they were locked up tight with chains and padlocks round the cages. It took an extra hour to smash them all open then it was time for the next breeding centre.

  Dawn was creeping over the horizon before they reached the last one. The Scouts went in and arrows sailed into the darkness. Gareth tensed waiting for a scream but none came. It had been a long night and his nerves were wound tight. They ran to the gates of the Eagle centre and they swung open. Billy was kneeling by the gate waiting.

  ‘It looks to be laid out like the first Gareth.’

  ‘Let’s bloody hope so, let’s go.’ They ran across the open area to where the centre of the compound should have been. They turned a corner and ran slap bang into a half a dozen guards. Luckily they were still half-asleep and the Highlanders jumped on them en mass. Gareth took the first man down and Graun stepped on his back and used it as a launching pad to leap on the man behind. Gareth dropped his claymore and drew his dirk. The man’s teeth gnashed at the palm of his hand as he sank his dirk up into his heart. Body beneath him convulsed a few time then went still.

  Graun got up from the limp form beneath him, ‘fuck that was close,’ he whispered.

  ‘On,’ Gareth grunted. The shadows moved farther into the compound and they found its centre. The men in it were already beginning to stir but The Beast was already hacking at the golden ring before they were discovered. The fight was over before it had begun. This time the last of Miguel’s sons was taken alive. He too had a young woman chained to his bed.

  He was dragged out into the compound and the woman released into Wynona’s care. Dozens of released Eagles began to transform and all gathered in front of the main building. The Beast stood behind the kneeling form but this time he had his new axe in his hands.

  Gareth regarded the man in front of him and didn't like what he was looking at, ‘do you know who I am.’

  ‘A thief,’ ventured the man.

  ‘No I'm your King. The man you and your family decided to defy. Before you die I just want you to know you are the last surviving member of that family.’

  The man’s eyes flew wide and Gareth nodded to The Beast, the man managed a single scream before his axe split him clean in two lengthways.

  The Beast held the axe up, ‘man this is some axe isn’t it.’

  Gareth grinned, ‘glad you like it Beast.’ He turned away and began rapping out orders. Within a very short period of time everyone was back at the main camp. Not every Eagle had been released and Graun organised party’s of men to cut the gold bands from their legs.

  Gareth joined Graun and they watched as released Eagles began to transform. Some took to the sky’s and screamed with joy. ‘What’s the butchers bill Graun?’

  ‘Sixteen wounded, most of them lightly, one man seriously and that's it.’

  ‘We couldn’t have been that lucky Graun.’

  ‘We were, we found the corpses of near a dozen Eagles and a couple of females have committed suicide since being released.’ Just then there was a plaintive cry from up on high. They looked up in time to see a single Eagle drop from the sky. Gareth expected it to level out but it didn't it crashed straight into the ground. A loud yell went up.

  ‘What the fucking hell is going on Gareth roared.’

  ‘Her mate was murdered.’

  The voice came from behind; Gareth snapped round and took in the man in front of him, it was obvious who he was. ‘Order them that no other will take their lives. I will not risk the lives of my people just so they can kill themselves, understand.’

  The man closed his eyes, ‘it is done.’ He closed his eyes again, ‘my father speaks to them now, they begin to calm themselves.’ He reached up and touched Gareth's forehead and he heard the Eagle Kings words. When the King had finished he lowered his hand. ‘I thank you for our rescue brother from the bottom of my heart.’

  ‘Anymore of you here?’

  ‘Two sisters and three half brothers.’

  Gareth grunted, ‘watch the half brothers and your own bastard children.’

  He nodded, ‘my father has already talked to me and them, they will behave.’

  ‘They better, or they won’t remain alive for very long.’

  A beautiful woman joined him and slipped her hand into his, he looked down at her and smiled, ‘my wife,’ he told Gareth needlessly, ‘do you mind if we go and fly for a little while?’

  Gareth found himself smiling and stepped aside, ‘enjoy yourselves.’ They ran past and leapt into the air transforming as they went.

  Wynona appeared at Graun’s side, ‘I have failed, some have taken their own lives.’

  ‘What about the others?’

  ‘They wish to speak to you of the same offer you gave me.’

  ‘It was not me who offered it was your King however I will extend it on his behalf and come and talk to them, how many are there?’

  ‘Fifteen now my Lord, sixteen if you include me, will they stay with you also.’

  Graun opened his mouth then closed it again not sure what to say, he looked to Gareth for help. Gareth was grinning, ‘we will make arrangements to accommodate everyone.’

  ‘What the fuck have you got me into Gareth?’ He asked when she was out of hearing.

  ‘Well, ye did say you wanted a shot at one of them.’

  Graun frowned, ‘did I, when.’

  ‘Can’t remember, a while back.’

  ‘I can’t remember that, are you sure it was me?’

  ‘Think so Lord Graun.’

  ‘Ach stop it with the Lord crap, it’s bad enough from every other fucker.’

  ‘Nah, if I'm a King and I am now, then you’re a fucking Lord, just like your brother.’

  Graun shook his head, ‘I far prefer war master, that's a title I liked and deserved.’

  Gareth grinned, ‘still blowing your own trumpet.’

  ‘Don’t fucking start on me Ogilvie, Mr I'm a fucking King now.’

  The Highlanders they past grinned at the two men’s bickering, the Eagles were horrified. By nightfall they had returned to the city and Gareth's father-in-law came and paid a visit and to take his people home. There was joy in his eyes when he met his son, he was the third oldest of the sons that had left and the two embraced warmly. He also hugged his son’s wife and they spent a long time together. The son greeted Vaary warmly as well and the youngest soon warmed to his elder brother.

  The meeting between the King and his bastard sons didn't go so well, only one seemed happy to accept the terms he offered them and the King dismissed him. He then had the other two arrested and beheaded, it was a stern lesson. One of his daughters had been raped and she wished to stay with Gareth which he granted. Every Eagle was given a choice of whether to stay or return with their King, unanimously they returned with their King to the Eagle city. Gareth wasn’t happy, despite the Kings words he had taken all of them home, all except the damaged women, he could have done with a few more Eagle to bolster his growing army.

  Graun placed the women under Scouts tutelage. They all recovered from their ordeal in their own time, and each always had the support of their sisters when needed. They took to the training Scout gave them with gusto. He taught them how to handle light weapons and weapons you could easily conceal. He also taught them how to read men and how to spot a lie. It would be over a year before he declared them ready to take on a mission of any importance, by then the women had a newfound sense of their own worth. They all went together to visit the Eagle city and the Eagle King met them personally but they refused his offer to return home.

  CHAPTER 21

  Scout and Steven were
stopped at every road they tried to take into the area. Scout tried to use his badge of rank to force his way through but to no avail, they were heavily outnumbered. They retreated to a safe point to discuss the matter.

  ‘The place is full of roving patrols plus every road is sewn up tighter than a ducks arse,’ Scout spat into the fire.

  ‘Aye and we could get there and find it’s been moved,’ Steven agreed, ‘did you notice something wrong with their eyes Scout?’

  ‘That's magic at work lad; any normal man would have obeyed me, wouldn’t have dared challenge me. We are going to have to sneak in on foot.’

  Steven nodded, ‘aye but at night.’ They retreated back a few miles and his wife appeared and took the horses back. With a little more than a few days rations they began to hike in to the area. They didn't get far before Scout began to act strangely, his eyes seemed huge in the moon light and eventually he began to act so erratically the Steven had to bind him and carry him back out of the area.

  The following morning a very embarrassed Scout stood in front of Gareth, Graun and Billy. ‘Sorry,’ was about all he could manage so they grilled Steven then dismissed him. Scout sat down with the rest of them.

  Graun started the ball rolling, ‘we only seem to have one choice and that's to send in the army.’

  Gareth dismissed the idea, ‘not without a reconnaissance first, we can send our men in, in pairs, they won’t be affected by the magic.’

  Scout raised a hand, ‘I agree, my nose is twitching like fuck, I think this has got ambush written all over it.’

  ‘We know it’s an ambush Scout,’ Graun argued his point, ‘but they don’t know that we know it’s an ambush and our men are going to be unaffected by their magic.’

  ‘I disagree Graun, I think there is more to it. I know magic; the easiest way to defeat it is through numbers. A mage can only control so many men at one time; it takes an ancient mage like Gareth's predecessor to control that many men at once and he was one of a kind. So they must have a lot of them to control so many men.’