As tired as she was, the plea of a mother for a sick child pulled at her heartstrings. She longed to go to sleep but could not deny the request. If her visit could help to ease the little girl’s suffering, the loss of sleep would be worth it.
“I will come,” Kalista stated as she straightened in her saddle. “Lead the way.”
A look of surprise crossed the guard’s face before he bowed deeply and thanked her. He then turned and led her through the camp. Her other guards closed in around her and accompanied her towards their comrade’s sister. The small group slowly made its way through the giant camp.
It was nothing like the organized camps of the Kalian Army. Tents of varying sizes and qualities had been hastily thrown up wherever there was enough space for them. Some were clustered together tightly while others stood alone. It quickly became apparent to Kalista that the different classes of citizens had remained separate on the march. They passed from a large section of bigger tents with organized paths around them to an ever larger section of small, disorganized tents. There were also numerous people clustered together on the ground without any tents at all.
Some of them turned to see who was passing through their midst, but most continued to sleep, undisturbed. Kalista quickly became concerned by the large number of people without tents. What would happen during a rain storm? She was surprised when the guard pulled up next to a shabby group of people clustered around a small campfire that was now no more than coals. Several in the group looked up with exhaustion clearly written across their faces.
The eyes of one of the women lit up when she recognized her brother and Kalista. She hurriedly got to her feet. In her arms she held a small bundle of raggedy blankets. Kalista gave a start as she realized there was a small girl wrapped in the bundle. The child looked half starved with sunken eyes and sharp cheekbones. One bony arm hung out of the bundle limply. Kalista blinked rapidly and bit her lip in an effort not to cry at the piteous sight. The little girl’s eyes were closed.
“Is this her?” she asked in a whisper so as not to disturb the sleeping child.
The guard nodded in response. Kalista slipped off her horse and stood next to the little girl’s mother. The small child convulsed several times but her eyes remained closed.
“I am sorry she is asleep and will not be able to see me,” Kalista said quietly to the woman.
“She never really sleeps anymore,” the mother responded sadly. “She simply drifts in and out of consciousness.”
The mother lowered her head to her daughter and whispered something that Kalista could not hear. The girl’s eyes shot open almost instantly. A large smile split her emaciated face.
“Is this a dream?” the little girl asked quietly.
“No,” her mother responded with tears in her eyes. “The Princess has come to visit you.”
Kalista’s eyes welled up with tears as the little girl’s eyes shone with an excitement and life that seemed out of place on the weakened body. Kalista reached out and put her hand on the sunken cheek of the little girl.
“What is your name?” she asked.
“Callie,” the little girl responded.
“How do you feel, Callie?”
“Tired,” Callie responded. “We travelled far today.”
“We did,” Kalista agreed.
“Mom says it was to keep us safe,” the little girl said. “Are we safe now?”
“Yes,” Kalista responded with a smile. “We are safe. Now you better get back to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow so we can get to Kavar soon.”
“I could sleep better if it wasn’t so cold,” Callie said. “But I’ll do my best to sleep well tonight.”
Kalista untied her long, soft cloak and laid it on top of Callie.
“Here,” she said. “This will help you stay warm.”
Callie’s eyes lit up once again with the light that contrasted with her gaunt face.
“Thank you,” she squealed as she hugged the cloak tightly against her tiny frame.
Her eyes then slowly shut, and she began snoring softly. Kalista stepped back from the little girl and remounted her horse. The girl’s mother kept crying and thanking her for her kindness as she turned her horse and headed back towards her own tent.
The guard who had requested the visit also thanked her. Kalista could see tears in the strong man’s eyes. She nodded graciously as they slowly made their way through the camp. The little girl’s face haunted her thoughts as she looked around. She wondered how many other families were traveling with the sick and afflicted. She could only imagine how hard it must be for the mother of the little girl to walk all day while carrying the child in her arms. She turned back to the guard.
“Take your sister a horse tomorrow morning,” she commanded. “Also, see that she has a tent for tomorrow night.”
The guard thanked her and assured her he would fulfill her command. Kalista yawned once again as she finally reached her tent. It was time for her to sleep. First thing in the morning she would discuss the needs of those who were travelling without tents or with inadequate provisions.
She dismounted and entered her own tent. One of her maids was still awake, just inside the tent flap, waiting for her. Kalista smiled in greeting and allowed her maid to help prepare her for sleep.
It was not long before she was secure and comfortable on her cot. She almost felt guilty for the accommodations she had. She let her muscles relax and tried not to worry about everything that was happening around her. If they kept up their current pace, it would take another thirteen days to reach Kavar.
Luckily, there were plenty of supplies, and there would be safety and security when they reached Kavar. Until then, they would have to keep up a decent pace and trust that the Royal Army would keep the galdaks at bay long enough for them to reach their destination.
Kalista wondered how the night’s battle was progressing. Commander General Blaize had said he might choose to abandon Candus as soon as all of its inhabitants were safely on their way to Kavar. The beautiful city would most likely fall tonight or the following night. It saddened her to think of the impending destruction that awaited the fair city.
She hoped Gavin was staying safe. She also hoped there would be minimal casualties to the Royal Army during the night’s battle. The army already had an evacuation plan in place and should be able to implement it easily if necessary now that the citizens were safely out of their city. That in itself should keep the casualties to a minimum.
For now, she needed to focus on the refugees. She would see that their needs were met and that they made it to Kavar safely. They would need to break camp and leave early in the morning to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the galdaks. They would not truly be safe until they reached Kavar. The sooner they arrived, the better. Kalista sighed and shifted on the cot. The little girl’s face and fragile body still haunted her. She would work hard in the morning to see that those like Callie were taken care of.
* * * * *
Blaize intently watched the battle taking place from his strategic perch atop a section of the city wall. His troops were fighting valiantly and so far had kept the galdaks outside the city. The battle had begun in earnest just after sunset and had continued raging for half the night. He saw no reason why it wouldn’t last until dawn, just like the rest of the nights. However, tonight he planned on using a different strategy.
The soldiers had worked hard to prepare for the night’s stratagem. Blaize had ordered them to continue fighting as normal until midnight so as not to arouse the suspicion of the galdaks. The time appointed to change their strategy and implement his plans was close at hand. He took a deep breath and motioned for several of his messengers. He had never signaled a retreat before. As much as he disliked the idea of ceding ground to the galdaks, he knew it was currently his best option.
He gave the messengers their orders and sent them on their way. He took a deep breath. He had done it. The signals would soon be lit, and the retreat
would begin. Blaize consoled his pride by reminding himself that he had not ordered just a simple retreat. The Royal Army would not be running away. They would be strategically destroying a large portion of the opposing force as they moved to a more defensible position.
Blaize waited patiently for the beacon fires to be lit. It wasn’t long before the four fires at the outside base of the walls burst into flames. His soldiers immediately began falling back into the city, abandoning the walls. It was done at a measured and staggered pace to keep the enemy ignorant that it was being done voluntarily. The galdaks would only think they were slowly pushing the humans back. Blaize turned and surveyed the streets of the city. Everything was ready.
He quickly made his way down from the wall and strode along the main avenue that led west into the city. The large avenue would soon be crawling with galdaks, but for now it was still firmly under the control of the Kalian Army. The tops of the buildings that lined the avenue on both sides were full of concealed archers. Blaize glanced up at the roofs and was happy to find that he couldn’t see any sign of them.
The sides of the street were piled with loose debris and covered in flammable liquids. When it was time, the sides of the street would be lit, illuminating the invading army. The light would blind the galdaks and would make them clearly visible targets for the archers. The creatures would be taken completely by surprise.
Three other large avenues were prepared in the same fashion: archers on top and flammable debris along the bases of the buildings. The four streets were thus prepared for a full ten blocks into the city. The galdaks would be funneled into these large avenues. When the designated areas were completely full of the creatures, the debris would be lit, and the archers would rain death from above.
On either side of each of the four main avenues, small streets were fortified and guarded to maintain a safe means of escape for the archers when the second retreat signal was given. The first phase of the retreat would then be completed. The galdak horde should effectively be confused and debilitated.
The majority of the Kalian cavalry would then thunder in from the north and south and cut off the galdak army at the edge of the city. The rest of the horsemen would sweep down the large avenues and finish off the remaining galdaks trapped there. The cavalry would form the rearguard and keep the galdaks at bay while the rest of the army evacuated the city and made its way south. When the soldiers were clear of the city, the cavalry would disengage from the galdaks and join the army on the march to Kavar.
Blaize finished traversing the first ten blocks of the main avenue and rounded the large barricade that had been set up. He walked over to his horse and checked to make sure everything was tight and secure. He trusted all would go smoothly with his plan. It was direct and simple. However, should the army need to retreat quicker than expected, he wanted to be ready.
Having satisfied himself that all was in order, Blaize climbed to the top of the barricade and peered down the street. It was hard to see much in the blackness of night, but it appeared that the galdaks were still only just beginning to enter the city. Kalian soldiers began streaming past the barricade below him as they continued to fall back. It wasn’t long before the galdaks had pushed themselves five blocks into the city. It was hard to see them, but their growls and shouts became increasingly loud as more and more poured inside the walls.
When the galdaks began nearing the barricades at the end of the ten city blocks, the signal was given and the streets were set ablaze. The remaining soldiers disengaged from the battle and vacated the streets as fast as they possibly could. Within moments, the entire length of the road was lit with flames. The surprised galdaks began to fall by the hundreds as the archers sent volley after volley down into their midst.
The galdaks’ howls of excitement changed to ones of rage and pain. The first wave of galdaks reached the base of the barricade and was easily cut down by the nearby archers. Blaize glanced to the north and south. He couldn’t see the neighboring streets from his position, but he could see the flickering lights of the flames that had been lit along them. If all was going as smoothly on the other streets, the retreat would be highly successful.
He returned his attention to the large avenue in front of him. The galdaks were confused and disoriented in the bright light of the flames. They continued falling by the hundreds as they fruitlessly searched for a way to fight their attackers. As the creatures fell, more continued streaming into the city to take their places. The dark red corpses began piling up all along the avenue. Despite their frenzy to get past the barricade, none of the galdaks that happened to reach the end of the avenue made it further than half way up.
After awhile, the volley of arrows began to noticeably lessen and more and more galdaks began reaching the base of the barricade. It was obvious that many of the archers were beginning to run out of arrows. Blaize waited a little while longer and then gave the signal. It was repeated and sent to the leaders of the cavalry stationed to the north and south of the city gate.
Blaize counted slowly in his head until he was certain the cavalry would have reached the gate. He then gave the second signal. All arrows ceased as a small group of cavalry burst through the edge of the barricade and began sweeping down the avenue towards the gate. They effectively cut down the remaining galdaks on their way to join the main body of horsemen fighting outside the city.
Blaize climbed down from his perch atop the barricade and mounted his horse. Already some of the archers were beginning to stream out of the side streets and head for their rendezvous points towards the heart of the city. They saluted as they passed him. Blaize returned several salutes before turning and riding past the barricade with five other horsemen. He wanted to check on the progress of the battle outside the city walls before joining with the foot soldiers as they began retreating south.
The large avenue seemed alien as he picked his way through the red corpses of the galdaks. The flickering flames, piled bodies, and groaning of the dying made the previously empty avenue seem as if it were a nightmarish replica of the underworld. Blaize never took joy in seeing so much destruction, but he was satisfied to see almost no human bodies among the carnage. The first part of his plan had been successful.
As he neared the gate of the city, the sounds of battle began raging in his ears once more. The horsemen who had cleared the avenue were vigilantly guarding what had been the city gate, preventing any galdaks from passing. When he reached them, Blaize swung down from his horse and quickly made his way to the top of the wall. He watched as the Kalian cavalry swept back and forth through the sea of galdak warriors from numerous locations.
He waited with his arms crossed as he patiently watched the battle below him. Soon, messengers assigned to the three other large avenues began arriving. All reported success similar to the avenue he had observed. He glanced one more time at the battle raging outside the city and descended the stairs. He was satisfied that the disciplined cavalry would keep the galdaks occupied long enough for the soldiers on foot to vacate the city. The horsemen would then be able to speed away and rejoin the army without any problems.
Blaize remounted his horse and hurried back down the main avenue. Several buildings had caught on fire, but most were untouched. It was a still night, and he hoped the flames would die quickly. At least they wouldn’t spread to any other sections of the city.
Then again, he had no idea what the galdaks would do once they took control of the city. Perhaps the citizens of Candus would be lucky, and the galdaks would leave the city intact. He supposed it was possible the horde would immediately follow the army, and Candus would remain untouched. However, as much as he hoped the beautiful city would be spared, he doubted the galdaks would comply with his wishes.
He passed the barricade and left the heat and light of the flames behind him. Blaize continued towards the heart of the city and turned south upon reaching the palace. Glancing at the magnificent structure, he wondered if it would still be as grand by the following night. It w
as tragic to think of what might soon become of the tranquil and silent city.
Blaize shook his head and hurried towards the southern gate of the city with a grimace. No matter how one looked at it, the reality of war was destruction. Whether it be the destruction of buildings, ideas, or life, war always left destruction in its wake.
24
Traven carefully rose to his feet, keeping his wooden spear pointed towards the thick fog in front of him. Nothing was visible in the swirling darkness, but he knew what he had just heard. He waited tensely for another sign of what animal was hiding in the fog. He took a careful step forward to allow himself more room to maneuver if whatever was waiting in the fog chose to attack. All was silent except for his own breathing. The thick blanket of fog swirling around him seemed to deaden sound as well as sight.
Traven waited tensely for what seemed like forever, but the creature didn’t manifest itself. He began to wonder if his size had scared the creature away and if it was safe for him to sit back down. His erroneous thought disappeared instantly as he made out a large shadow hurling through the air towards him.
Time froze and the particles in the thick fog immediately prepared to obey his commands. His mind quickly assessed the situation with blazing speed. Frozen in the air directly in front of him were the wide open jaws of a giant mountain cat. The creature was almost completely white with black tufts on its pointed ears and a black tuft on its chin. Its head was at least twice the size of his own, and its teeth glistened like small ivory daggers.
He was about to form a shield but stopped as he remembered the rules of the trial. No magic was allowed. The thought almost seemed laughable at the moment. He could use magic and live, or he could follow the rules of the trial and end up with his throat ripped out. As far as he knew, no one would know if he had used magic or not. Then again, he had agreed to the rules and given his word. Darian had said that only an honest man could enter the Cave of Eternal Flame and complete the trial with his mind intact.
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