Shadow Lands Trilogy

by Simon Lister

  Morgund was concerned that they might lose their way on the plain in the blizzard and they discussed how they might cross the mile or so to the Adren camp and get back without going helplessly astray in the darkness and flying snow.

  Tomas suggested laying a line of rope to guide them back but a quick check showed they had nowhere near enough to cover the required distance. Mar’h put forward the idea of stationing people with burning brands to guide the raiders back and he and Cael went outside into the blizzard to see how far apart they would be visible in the storm. It turned out to be not far enough. They would have needed hundreds of people and hundreds of brands to cover the distance. One of the Uathach suggested planting branches in the snow as they made their way to the Adren camp but Mar’h, still sweeping snow from his cloak, said the snow was so furious outside that the branches would be covered by the time they made their back and that they would have needed too many branches.

  In the end Arthur decided that they would all head out across the plain together except for Ceinwen who would remain at the camp and set out, at the edge of the forest, ten burning brands every hundred yards to either side of the camp with markings to show whether the returning raiders were to the left or right of where they needed to be. They would only burn for an hour so Ceinwen would delay lighting them until after the raiders had left. They were all aware of the risk that the Adren chasing them could use them too but each thought it was worth it. The brands would use up their remaining oil but as they planned to get to the longboats as quickly as possible and leave then Arthur did not see any more use for it on this side of the Causeway.

  Ruraidh drew a rough map of the part of the Adren camp which held the stores and Arthur allocated tasks for the three groups, those that would go into the camp carrying the barrel of poison, those that would take up the covering positions and those that would comprise the rearguard.

  Arthur would lead the group to enter the camp, Balor the covering bowmen and Morgund the rearguard. The Uathach were spread among the three groups with Ruraidh and Gwyna in Arthur’s band. They set about stringing their longbows and preparing their war gear.

  Eventually Ceinwen returned and went straight to the fire as Arthur outlined to her the part she was to play in the plan. She nodded her understanding, too frozen to talk and the others left the warmth of the tent and in single file began to cross the plain, bent almost double against the howling blizzard.

  They soon realised that any plan involving rope or brands to guide them back was completely unworkable as they could barely see ten-feet in front of them in the darkness and driving snow. They realised too that this meant the Adren could not see them from more than ten-feet away. Arthur’s main concern was whether they could find the right part of the Belgae village where the supplies were stored.

  They stumbled on, forcing their way through the deep snow with the wind roaring in their ears and the frozen snow stinging the exposed skin around their eyes. Morgund thought they may well miss the camp on the way back but as long as they kept their backs to the wind then they could not miss the forest at least. He did not find it a great comfort.

  It took them an hour to reach the village. Suddenly the wind lessened slightly and the dim light from the village fires outlined the black wall before them. Already exhausted they crowded in the lee of the village wall, breathing hard and freeing their weapons. Arthur stumbled down the line until he found Ruraidh.

  ‘Do you have any idea how close we are to the stores?’ he shouted to make himself heard against the still buffeting wind.

  Ruraidh pointed to the right, ‘There’s a gate that way, I think.’

  They formed into their groups, the rearguard led by Morgund stayed where they were at the base of the wall. The other two groups moved along the wall to the right until they came to the gateway. The gates were wedged open with drifted snow lying deeply against them. Arthur and Ruraidh crossed to the far side and studied what they could see inside the compound. There was not much movement as almost everyone was inside the various roundhouses and barns sheltering from the storm. Fires burned in corners out of the wind throughout the compound and each fire had two or three Adren huddled close to it. Arthur guessed that these were supposed to be on guard duty.

  Ruraidh pointed alongside the wall, ‘Most of their stores were packed in the buildings along this wall.’

  Arthur nodded and crossed back to speak to Balor. His group slipped inside the gate and climbed to the parapet that ran along the inside of the wall where they crouched down, trying to scan the ground around the buildings below them.

  Arthur then led his group boldly through the gates with Tomas and Mar’h hauling the sledge with the barrel of poison tied to it. Elowen, Morveren, Ruraidh and Gwyna slipped into the darker recesses between the buildings. Arthur hoped that any Adren spotting them amid the storm and among the buildings would assume they were just soldiers collecting stores on the sledge.

  Arthur went to the first building and hauled the door open. Once out of the wind he lit the small oil light he had taken from the sledge. The single-room building, probably a stable previously, was full of weapons, swords, spears and the bows the Adren used. He left and placed the oil light on the sledge where its light could not be seen by anyone in the compound.

  They moved onto the next building and both the shadows between the buildings and those on the wall above moved along with them. This one was packed with sacks of grain and rice. Tomas and Arthur hoisted the barrel off the sledge and rolled it into the wooden hut. Pouring some of the liquid into a bucket they opened the sacks and began to douse the grain.

  Outside, one of the Adren had noticed Mar’h waiting by the sledge and started to walk towards him. Mar’h turned to face him and scanned the immediate area to see if anyone was watching them. As the Adren neared and started to ask questions an arrow flew past Mar’h and slammed into the Adren’s chest, sending him flying onto his back. Ruraidh and Gwyna raced out of the shadows and dragged the body through the snow and back into the darkness between the buildings. As Arthur and Tomas brought the barrel out and lifted it back onto the sledge, Mar’h once again scanned the nearby fires for any movement towards them. There was not and they moved on to the next building.

  They were going through the same process when Ruraidh and Gwyna came through the doorway. Arthur and Tomas spun round to see who had entered.

  ‘What about our winter supplies? We need to take as much as we can,’ Ruraidh said.

  ‘If you loaded up with supplies you’d have to go back out through the gates and then haul the sledge across the plain and to the coast. You wouldn’t make it,’ Arthur said.

  ‘I told you this bastard would betray us!’ Gwyna hissed as she drew her sword.

  ‘I’m not betraying anyone. Now we are here it makes no sense trying to take stores for your winter – it’s too difficult, you’d die trying,’ Arthur said watching her carefully.

  ‘Many in our clan will die this winter if we don’t try but at least news of your death will warm them,’ Gwyna said and lunged forward. Arthur twisted away from the sword and struck Gwyna hard across the face with the back of his hand sending her flying against the wall. Ruraidh drew his sword but Arthur was upon him too quickly, forcing him back against the wall, one hand pinning his sword arm the other around his throat.

  Gwyna knelt looking from her sword that lay on the floor near the barrel to Tomas who stood with his own sword drawn and pointing toward her.

  Arthur spoke as he pinned Ruraidh to the wall, ‘Listen, both of you. I said we were allies. It’s us against the Adren, nothing else matters to me. If you want to try to haul your supplies back then go ahead and die. It’s not possible. But allies help each other. You need supplies for the winter? I’ll send supplies to Ablach’s clan once we’re back across the seas. You have my oath on that. If that’s not enough then try for your swords now.’

  Arthur released Ruraidh and stepped back, facing them both. They remained still, stunned by how quick Arthur
had moved and how easily he had disarmed them both.

  ‘Load the sledge with supplies and try your fortune, use your swords now or we carry on with the plan and I will send supplies to your clan. Choose.’ Arthur stared at Ruraidh as he spoke. Ruraidh hesitated, torn between taking the opportunity of killing Arthur and taking his word that he would send supplies. He hesitated because he thought the chances of killing Arthur were slim. Gwyna had no such hesitation and was steeling herself to launch an attack against him when Mar’h burst through the doorway.

  ‘What in hell’s name is taking so long? There’s a group of Adren approaching!’ Mar’h shouted to them. He stood in the doorway staring wildly around at the figures facing each other as the wind drove the snow around him and into the room. Arthur strode to the doorway. There were five Adren making their way to the sledge. Suddenly arrows shot down from overhead and all five of the Adren crashed backward into the snow.

  Arthur raced forward and dragged two of the bodies back to the building and Ruraidh and Gwyna passed him to do the same. Tomas was carrying the barrel back to the sledge while Mar’h slung the harness over his slim shoulders once again to drag it towards the next storeroom. Together they quickly poured the contents over the stacked meat that they found in the hut.

  Arthur went to join them and several things happened at once. He heard screaming coming from the next hut in line, Gwyna was hit in the shoulder by an Adren arrow, rope dropped from the parapet above them and arrows flew from overhead to meet a dozen charging Adren. Elowen and Morveren sped from between the buildings.

  ‘Get her to the wall!’ Arthur shouted to Elowen as he pointed to the fallen Gwyna.

  ‘Kill them and get over the wall!’ he shouted to the others and they moved to meet the Adren charge whose numbers had already been halved by the bowmen above them.

  Arthur raced to the next building and kicked open the door. The small hut was lit by a dozen large candles and the screaming continued as he stopped cold in the doorway. For several seconds his brain refused to take in the sight before him.

  There were nine Adren in the hut but it was not the Adren that sent him into a blind rage. It was the three women chained in the room, one to the wall and the other two on crude wooden beds. Tattered shreds of clothing clung to their emaciated limbs. Their bodies were covered in ugly, deep bruising and open welts. Their wrists and ankles were open bloody sores where the manacles had cut deeply.

  One of the women seemed dead already, her head hanging against her chest at an unnatural angle. Another stared sightlessly at the dim ceiling above, her body utterly still except for her hands that twitched uncontrollably. The third was screaming. It was her screaming that Arthur had heard. A dry scream that came from vocal chords that had been shredded hoarse. To the amusement of those gathered around her she had been bucking and writhing violently in an attempt to rid herself of the Adren who was on top of her.

  Now she lay thrashing her head from side to side on the hard bed, her long hair, matted and filthy, flying back and forth. Her screaming had stopped and as Arthur and the Adren stared at each other, the only sound in the room was the heavy thudding of her head on the hard wood. It lasted for a few heartbeats then Arthur’s rage broke upon them. They scuttled for their weapons in a panic but few had the time to find them and those that did were torn apart by Arthur’s sword before they could try to defend themselves. Blood, gore and limbs flew about the room as Arthur hacked his way through all nine Adren. As the last one died, Morveren and Mar’h burst into the hut breathing hard.

  ‘Arthur! Get out now! Now!’ Mar’h shouted to him then paused, looking at the nightmarish scene around him. Someone was laughing. A mad, broken cackling was coming from the heap of bodies scattered across the room. Looking around the bloody chaos he saw where the laughter was coming from. In an uncertain voice he repeated that they had to leave and leave quickly. Arthur looked at them both and for a second they saw an unquenchable hatred burning in his eyes. Then Arthur turned and knelt first by one woman then the next.

  ‘See if she’s still alive,’ he said to Morveren, pointing to the third who lay under the bodies of two dead Adren.

  Arthur brushed the long matted hair from the bruised face of the woman who was laughing madly. It was not a woman, it was a girl and her ordeal had plunged her mind into an abyss of insanity. For a moment her eyes cleared and focussed on Arthur, ‘Breward?’ she croaked.

  Arthur stared at the disfigured face and realised who it was. ‘Yes Caja, it’s Breward. I’ve come to take you away from here,’ Arthur replied. Caja’s eyes clouded once again and she began to laugh shrilly.

  ‘This one’s dead, Arthur,’ Morveren said from across the hut.

  ‘They’re all dead,’ Arthur replied and placing the point of his sword above Caja’s bloody breast, jabbed it downward. The cackling stopped. He did the same to the woman next to Caja, her hands twitched for a second longer then stilled.

  ‘Arthur, we have to leave,’ Mar’h said again.

  As Arthur had expected, the Adren had already blocked the way back to the main gate and they would have to go over the wall to get out of the camp. They left the hut and ran towards the group by the wall. Their position was becoming desperate. Elowen had reached the parapet and had helped the injured Gwyna over the other side. She was now with Cael and the rest of Balor’s group firing arrows rapidly into the melee below them. At such short range they only needed to half-draw their longbows and arrows flew from the wall in quick succession.

  Ruraidh and Tomas were still at the foot of the wall, outnumbered and pressed hard by a group of Adren who had got through the hail of arrows from above. Arthur, Morveren and Mar’h threw themselves at the Adren, cutting into them unexpectedly just as Tomas fell under two attacking Adren. It was a chaotic few seconds, the snow blinded them in the darkness and swords clashed and swung as they fought for enough time and space to climb the ropes up to the wall.

  Arthur’s rage carried him into the thick of the Adren and he cut about himself with wide, lightning sweeps of his sword. Suddenly they had some space and Mar’h wrapped a rope around his good arm and Cael and Balor dropped their longbows to haul him upwards. Ruraidh started to scale another rope. Arthur looked about him and saw Tomas slumped against the foot of the wall, an Adren spear through his stomach. Tomas was staring at it in puzzled disbelief, the shock still preceding the pain even as his life drained away. Arthur dragged Morveren away from her fallen friend and propelled her towards the ropes that led to safety then he heard a cry from above and Balor shouting. The cry was from Elowen who had just seen Tomas at the base of the wall. Balor was shouting a warning. Arthur looked out across the compound and saw why. More and more of the nearby Adren were becoming aware that their camp was under attack and one of their captains was marshalling dozens of them, ready to charge the wall.

  Arthur looked once more to Tomas who turned his eyes up to Arthur in glazed shock. Tomas started to scream. The cries above were becoming more urgent. The Adren had begun their charge. Arthur quickly looped a rope around Tomas’s arm then hauled himself up another as the arrows flew once more from the wall.

  Again Balor and Cael hoisted up the rope, this time lifting the screaming Tomas. Something slipped. Tomas went crashing back to the ground and his screams redoubled. Suddenly free of the load, Balor and Cael fell backwards as the suddenly weightless rope jerked upwards. Arrows began to thud and hiss around them as the Adren neared the wall. Balor’s covering group began to descend the other side of the wall.

  Elowen looked panic-stricken, ‘We can’t leave Tomas!’ she screeched at the departing figures around her.

  ‘He’s dead girl!’ Balor shouted taking her by the arm. She wrenched her way free and slid down one of the ropes just as Arthur gained the top. He looked down in despair as Elowen stood over the dying Tomas, her feet planted firmly apart and her sword held before her. Tears ran spilling from her eyes and her lips twisted into a snarl as she faced the Adren charge. A hail of arrows shot a
t her and plucked her off her feet, sending her flying lifelessly against the wall.

  Balor cursed and leapt for a rope to get over the other side of the wall. Arthur cut all but one of the remaining ropes then followed Balor. Mar’h was waiting with Balor on the other side.

  ‘Is there anyone else?’ he shouted into the wind.

  Arthur shook his head.

  ‘Elowen?’ Mar’h shouted.

  Arthur shook his head again.

  They started to run back across the snow, following the tracks of the others. They caught up with Morveren who was dragging the injured Gwyna away from the fighting. Mar’h joined her and together they half-carried the unconscious Gwyna across the snow. Balor kept yelling out to Morgund, identifying themselves. When they passed his group, Morgund asked if there was anyone else left then the rearguard turned and followed the others back towards the forest edge, stumbling in the driving wind that forced them onward and fighting against the sapping depth of the snow.

  After thirty exhausting minutes of thrashing their way through the snow they reached the forest edge. They could not see any of the burning brands. Morgund’s group, who had been just behind them, arrived a few minutes later. They had been following the tracks left by Arthur and the others.

  ‘Are they following?’ Arthur asked. He had to shout to be heard above the wind. Morgund was bent over with his hands on his knees, fighting for breath.

  He looked up, ‘One group nearly caught up with us. Ten, maybe fifteen. We shot most of them. The others disappeared in the storm. Don’t know about the rest. Where are we?’

  Arthur looked round but saw nothing familiar.

  ‘Mar’h, take the right – go five-hundred yards then come back here. Balor, take the left and do the same,’ he shouted to them.

  They started off immediately and Arthur drew the others back into the forest a little way. They lined up under whatever cover the forest could offer and strained their eyes staring into the blizzard that blew in from the plains, waiting for the shadows of their pursuers to emerge from the darkness.