Home Lost

by Franz McLaren

  "'The sight is fascinating really, but I feel you will be more interested in the pool within. I tied a stone to a piece of twine and dropped it in to measure the depth. It is more than twenty feet deep. Anything dropped in there will be lost forever.'

  "His last words were grunted out, as he lifted me to his shoulder. Several times, my back scraped the ceiling of the low cave as he carried me in. My head slammed against rock and stars danced in my vision as he threw me to the ground. I felt a cool breeze in the confines of the bag as the drawstring was loosened. The cold metal of my sword slid beside me then I heard the clink of my daggers thrown in. The Colonel was careful to ensure I disappeared without a trace. I felt rocks bruising my shins as he loaded several into the bag. The cool breeze ceased as the drawstring was pulled tight.

  "'For what it’s worth Darius, I have nothing against you. Oh, in public I will hate you, but you will have the comfort of knowing your image will be used to make Allivan a powerful nation again. In a way, I envy you your fame. I am certain your name will last as long as that of Halsey, while mine will be known only by the knights of future generations.'

  "With that, I was lifted, carried a few steps and hurled through the air. I felt the splash first on my feet, then moving up the bag. A muffled splunk was the last thing I heard."

  CHAPTER 34

  Darius stood and looked at the gathering clouds. The temperature was dropping as they swept across the sun.

  "I think, M’lady, you should do your exercises while I fix us something to eat."

  "Wait a second. That’s not fair. You can’t leave me hanging like this."

  "Sure I can. I’m hungry. You practice, I’ll cook. We can continue the story later." As he squatted to rummage in packs for food and cooking implements, his shoulders shook with silent laughter.

  With a growl of frustration, she stomped into the snow, drew the elvin blade, and began the exercises he showed her the night before. Her stiff, sore muscles quickly warmed and she began to find joy in the flow of movement.

  She was covered with a light sheen of sweat by the time she finished. She wandered to the fire and sat on one of the logs Darius had dragged over to feed the fire. He handed her a hot bowl of boiled oats mixed with dried fruit and topped with honey. She realized she was famished and ate as though she had not eaten in days. Darius smiled as he watched her.

  "What is your problem? Have you never seen a woman eat before?"

  His smile broadened.

  "Well, except a few mother wolves, I have not seen anyone attack food quite like that."

  She thought of throwing the bowl at him but decided it was too good to waste. His smile diminished, although it remained.

  "I think the exercises that gave you such trouble yesterday have already become too easy. I am surprised how quickly you mastered them. Tomorrow, we will add a few new ones." He stood and started gathering provisions and utensils and packing them as Leena used snow to scrub her bowl.

  The temperature was dropping. Puddles on the road were developing thin, crinkled skins of ice. The surface of the snow cracked with each step and plumes of steamy breath huffed from her mouth as she gathered the horses and led them to the shelter of the tree.

  Everything was packed when she returned. Darius held out a bag of oats for her to place over her horse’s ears while he bagged the other two.

  "I think the road will be solid enough by the time they are through eating."

  At dusk, they started again. Winter cold had returned with a vengeance. Long plumes of mist issued from their mounts with every breath. Their hooves rang on the newly frozen road surface.

  "For most of the ride to the cliffs, I had cursed the thickness of the bag around me. Its cloth was too thick to permit air to flow through. What little I could get came through the drawstring opening. However, now I was grateful the Colonel had chosen such thick cloth.

  "The rocks, stones and weapons the Colonel threw in the bag pulled the opening down trapping air inside. At least I would be able to breathe for a while. I prayed it would last long enough for the immobilization spell to wear off.

  "How long I floated on the bottom, unable to see, hear or move, I do not know. Eventually, the air seemed insufficient. I felt myself getting light-headed and sleepy. A cramp grew in my calf muscle. At first it was just an annoyance, then an actual pain and eventually, a screaming agony. Without thinking, I bent and pressed my thumbs deeply into the aching knot. I was so dizzy from the poor quality of air, at first I did not realize what I had done. I had moved. The spell had dissipated.

  "In panic, I clawed at the rocks and stones around the drawstring, trying to open the bag. I wasted energy because the knot was on the outside. I clawed at the material, but my nails only raked its surface. I braced my back against one side of the bag and pushed with my feet on the other. The material was too strong.

  "My lightheadedness grew as my exercise rapidly used up what little good air was left. I found it hard to concentrate and stay awake. Something niggled at the back of my mind, but I could not grasp the thought. I found myself half dreaming of cutting my way out and floating to the surface. Like a bubble, the thought floated to the surface of my mind. While I spent time, wasted precious breath fighting the bag, my knives and sword were in here with me. If I could find one, I could cut my way out.

  "My chest heaved trying to get enough air. My hand closed over the scabbard of the sword. I traced it to the hilt, but had no strength to lift and unsheathe the blade. I let it fall. I felt around and nicked a finger on the blade of my boot knife. The pain helped recover some of my senses. I grasped the knife, inhaled a deep breath of tainted air and plunged it through the top of my cloth tomb.

  "With a rush, water engulfed the space around me. Too weak to swim, I floated with the bubbles toward the surface. Vaguely, I wondered whether the Colonel had stayed to ensure I did not reappear. I think I still held the dagger. However, in the state I was in, I could not use it.

  "My head broke the surface. I huffed out pent-up breath and tried to breathe in fresh air. My mouth filled with water and I felt myself sinking. Through foggy vision, I saw a figure reaching for me. I thought of swimming down to escape the Colonel’s grasp, but my arms no longer obeyed my mind.

  "My collar was grasped and I was jerked to the edge of the pool. I tried to lift my arm, to stab out and save myself, but my head collided with the rocky rim and I knew no more."

  CHAPTER 35

  "From a great distance, as though happening to someone else, I felt my face slapped then hands crushing my chest. It felt like someone else’s thoughts in my brain, telling me the Colonel must be really angry to abuse me like this before trying to kill me again. I rolled to get away from the punishment and made it only to my side before spewing a geyser of seawater.

  "'Sir!'

  "I felt another slap.

  "'Sir, are you dead, Sir?'

  "I opened my eyes to see Sergeant Wolffang kneeling beside me. Not yet, I told him, but if he didn’t cease beating on me I soon would be.

  "The fresh air burned my lungs. Yet, it was a wonderful. In a croaking voice, I told the Sergeant my sword and dagger were still below and asked whether he would mind fetching them for me. With the sad look of a child disappointing his parents, he told me he could not swim.

  "His forlorn expression was so comical, I could not help laughing. This started a fit of coughing that cleared the last of the water from my system. Eventually, I sat up, panting like a person after a grueling footrace. My head cleared.

  "I asked the Sergeant how he had gotten here.

  "'Well, Sir, I come to in the barn as you was talking to me. I was still a bit sore so I stayed quiet like you told me. I watched you disappear down the ladder and heard you rummaging about below. I noted when you heard the horses and headed for the door. I heard a man talking about how you never came back from your mission and how your friends were going to miss you and such, but I couldn’t make much sense of it.

  "'In spite of your o
rders, I crawled to the edge and looked out the door. There was this fat lady with weird, floaty hair and a man all dressed in shiny armor carrying a sack. It didn’t register it could be you in the sack cause you wasn’t moving. But when he threw it across the horse, I saw him tuck two feet in. I knew those were your boots.

  "'I figured they would take you to town and maybe I could rescue you there, but they turned and rode southwest toward the cliffs. They wasn’t riding fast so I decided to trail along.

  "'The man just kept talking the whole time they was riding. It was too windy on the cliffs to hear much of what he said, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have understood the language anyway, but it seemed like he had to tell you his whole life story.

  "'I tried to keep up, but I was hampered by having to stay hid in case one of them turned around. Turned out it wasn’t necessary, but I couldn’t know that at the time.

  "'Eventually, I saw them disappear over the cliff. I recognized the spot. It was the Thunder Hole. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen such a thing, but at high tide that hole will throw water way in the air with a sound like distant thunder, only close. I don’t quite know how to describe it.

  "'Anyway, at that point they couldn’t see me so I ran to the cliff and looked over. I saw the wispy haired lady wave her wand. Then the shiny guy lifted you down and hauled you into the cave. I had to duck back then because the lady started looking around.

  "'They were down there forever. I waited until I saw their heads appearing above the cliff, then quick, scooted down another path and ran to the cave. Except for a little light coming through the entrance and a round spot on the pool from the blowhole, it was dark inside and I didn’t have a torch. I was looking all around the edge of the pool to see if you were laying there when a great bubble appeared with you floating in it. Immediately, you started to sink again so I grabbed your shirt and hauled you to the edge. I guess I pulled a little too hard and you got a solid crack on the noggin. I’m sorry about that, Sir.'

  "I assured him it was okay. I stood and found my strength rapidly returning. I checked whether I still clutched the boot knife, but my hand was empty. When I felt strong enough, I dived in, located the bag, and recovered my sword and dagger. I never did find the boot knife. It's too bad. It was a good weapon.

  "I wrung my shirt as dry as I could and used it to clean the weapons. I was considering what I should do next when I noticed the seat of my pants getting wet again.

  "I looked around. The water was rising with the incoming tide. Already, each wave was halfway to the ceiling of the entrance cave. I wondered whether we would be able to make it out. The blowhole was too small to accommodate either of us. I told the Sergeant we had to move, now.

  "I pushed the Sergeant in front of me thinking that, if he went down, I could stop him washing back into the cave. Still, the trip out must have been a nightmare for him. Between waves we could make two or three steps. Then we were forced to brace our hands against the slippery walls and hold fast while the waves tried to dislodge us and propel us back to a watery grave. Several times our progress was halted while he stopped to cough and hack between waves. It dawned on me he did not know he should hold his breath while the waves passed. Once I told him, we made much more speed.

  "Although it seemed hours, I am sure the trip took less than ten minutes. The late summer sun was comforting as we sat on the beach drying ourselves.

  "I was preparing to ask the Sergeant what he thought we should do next when there was a clatter of stones on the path down to the beach. With the speed of thought, the Sergeant disappeared behind a rock. In a crouching run. I selected shelter behind another. I would not let the Colonel take me without a fight. With the added advantage of Sergeant Wolffang, maybe we could overcome him and his witch. As silently as I could, I drew my blade."

  CHAPTER 36

  "The sound of waves, which moments ago had been comforting, now frustrated my ears. Was that the grinding of rock under a booted foot or the rattle of stones in pounding surf? I could not tell. To add to the frustration, a roar from atop the cliff masked any hope of tracking the intruder by his footsteps. I had to risk a look.

  "Slowly, I moved my head around the edge of the rock. The beach was empty. Were we just a pair of children frightened by the scatter of stones under a gull’s feet?

  "I caught a flicker of movement. A man rushed quickly between two rocks. Friend or foe? I could not tell. The glimpse had been too short. I watched the rock where he hid.

  "Another movement, closer to the surf, caught my eye. I stood, sheathed my sword and called the Sergeant from his hiding place. Suddenly, the beach was alive with two dozen men popping from behind boulders. King Ballan stepped forward.

  "'I did not expect we would meet again so soon.'

  "He explained he left a concealed watch on the barn waiting for the opportunity to recover the Sergeant. The watch had seen the Colonel’s arrival and my capture. He had also seen the Sergeant start after me. By the time the watch made it to the others, the horses were nearly out of sight. The King and his men tracked us by running south through the woods and turning west only when they were beyond sight of town. By then, the plain atop the cliffs was empty. They had no idea where we disappeared.

  "They were near the cliff when they heard horses climbing a path in front of them. They hid until the Colonel and Marta rode north out of sight then made their way down the path. They followed the horses' tracks easily, but could not know whether a guard had been left, therefore they took pains to approach unseen.

  "I suggested we make our way to a safer area as quickly as possible. I did not want to risk the Colonel returning to check his handiwork. At the top of the cliffs, we headed west. As we walked, I told the King of the Colonel’s plans for promotion.

  "By dusk, we put ten miles between us and the coast. We lit a small fire as several men scattered to find food. In an amazingly short time, we had a feast of rabbit, berries and nuts. These people did indeed know how to live off the land.

  "As we ate, the germ of an idea sprouted in my brain. It might just be possible to defeat the Colonel’s plans without the loss of life he needed to ensure his glory. I let the idea grow and develop through the next day. By evening of the second day, I had a plan.

  "After evening meal, once watches were set and the rest of the party was sitting around the fire, I broached the subject with the King. I told him the Colonel’s plan required an army to fight against. It also required a sustained campaign with several battles in a war Sauwerdah could not win. Allivanian soldiers were better equipped, had superior weapons and were better trained.

  "However, failing to provide an opposing army would not guarantee peace. The Colonel would continue committing atrocities until the citizens of Sauwerdah were so incensed they would have to try to ease their suffering.

  "The Colonel was correct. A Sauwerdan army, counseled by an Allivanian knight, could provide sustained resistance and supply the body count he desired. However, in the end, it would only prolong the war and increase causalities.

  "The King pointed out it sounded like a losing situation for Sauwerdah. They could surrender now and people would suffer to the point of rebellion, giving the Colonel his war. Or they could immediately go to war and fight battles the Colonel orchestrated, increase the body count and making his victory greater. He asked whether a guerilla war might be more successful.

  "I told him a guerilla war would favor the Colonel as well. Essentially, Allivan had been fighting guerillas for centuries as their only conflicts had been against bandits in their territories. Although theories had been developed for fighting large armies, actual battles were fought in small skirmishes against hidden foes.

  "I saw hopeless resignation in the faces of the men around the fire. They would be forced into a conflict they could not win. Now was the time to introduce my plan.

  "What if we gave the Colonel an enemy he could not defeat?

  "A sea of confused faces gazed at me in silence. Was there reason for
hope or was I crazy?

  "No one in Allivan ever fought a war. The Colonel would have to rely on theories taught to the knighthood for centuries. What if we used those theories to make certain he would have to commit his troops to battle time after time, only to discover no enemy was available to fight?

  "They looked at me as if I was crazy, but waited patiently for me to continue, humoring me I suspect.

  "I told them I watched the way their soldiers could disappear in the brush, the way they lived off the land and their method of driving animals during a hunt. These could be used to allow the Colonel to defeat himself.

  "I explained the reason we had to travel across country was the Colonel would have patrols looking for any sign an army was moving against him. Once word was brought that an army was sighted, he would muster his forces for battle. When a battle came, Allivanian strategy would be to mass infantry troops at the top of a hill facing the enemy. This gave them the advantages of greater distance for archers and less fatigue for troops during the engagement. They would run downhill while the enemy was forced to run up.

  "In addition, he would send mounted troops to either flank. Once the enemy infantry was engaged, the cavalry would swoop in from either side cutting off retreat and trapping the battle between his two forces. The strategy has not been used in a thousand years. However, against forces that have never seen a horse, it should be quite effective.

  "The strategy required the Colonel find a suitable terrain for each battle. I proposed we give it to him.