Shades of the past ms-6

by Brian S. Pratt

  Topping off his last bottle, Jiron secures the stopper in the bottle’s neck. James finishes with his and they return to their horses to pack the extra bottles away. Mounting once more, they turn south to follow the road through town.

  Once past the last building, they break into a fast gallop as they race down the road. Seeing as how the force of soldiers ahead has wagons traveling with them, they may be able to catch them before they attack Illan. Alternating between a fast gallop and at times dismounting to give the horses a break, they put many miles behind them. As they ride they keep an eye on the tracks of those they are pursuing to make sure the soldiers don’t turn off the road unexpectedly.

  By time they reach the town of Arakan, the sun has begun its descent to the horizon. Having bought sufficient supplies back in Bindles, they decide against stopping. Instead they hurry their way through town.

  As they enter the outskirts, James eyes the building that the officer who had stopped and checked their papers exited from during their last visit. Since neither one can speak the language, any confrontation can only lead to disaster. Coming abreast of the building, he quickens the pace of his horse slightly and moves past. He breathes a sigh of relief when no one makes an appearance.

  “Take it easy,” Jiron says to him softly. James gives him a nod and brings his horse back to a normal gait. The last thing they want to do is attract attention. Continuously scanning the people on the streets for any potential problems, they make their way through town.

  One thing James notices is the lack of guards or soldiers. Since entering Arakan, he’s only seen one guard. Glancing to Jiron he sees that he’s noticed that fact too. Last time they had more of a presence. Perhaps when the soldiers passed through here they took most of the guards with them.

  If that is the case, James is both elated and worried. Elated in that if they are forced to strip town garrisons and city guards to bolster their army, then they must be hurting for men. On the other hand, he’s worried because that would mean more to face should there be a battle.

  They reach the far side of town and leave the last building behind them without incident. Not far past the town they come across an area that looks like it could have been the bivouac area the army they’re following used the night before. Piles of horse dung dot the area and there’s evidence of over a dozen fire pits spaced evenly throughout.

  “We’re gaining on them,” Jiron says after examining a pile of horse dung.

  “I hope so,” replies James.

  They push on for a couple more hours until the sun drops below the horizon and twilight has almost turned into full night. Pulling several hundred feet off the road, they make camp without a fire. Rolling out their bedrolls, they have a quick meal then James takes first watch while Jiron turns in. A little after midnight, James wakes Jiron for his turn at watch and then sleeps peacefully until dawn.

  Up before first light, they’re back on the road and put a mile behind them before the sun breaks over the horizon. Using the same alternating pace as the day before, they eat up the miles quickly.

  Two hours before noon, date bearing trees appear ahead of them. It’s the oasis where they rescued Jiron from the Commander of Ten when he was captured in that ill-fated mission to retrieve James’ backpack from Mountainside. A caravan is currently watering their horses at the oasis’ pool, ten wagons along with an accompanying guard of twenty.

  “Better not get too close,” cautions Jiron.

  “I agree,” replies James.

  The road passes alongside the oasis and it would be very suspicious if they were to leave the road and pass in the desert. Rather than raise their suspicions, they stay as far away from those at the oasis as the road will allow them without appearing to do so on purpose. They pick up their pace as they hurry past.

  One of the guards offers them what sounds like a greeting in the Empire’s tongue. Ignoring him, they continue on. When the guard realizes they aren’t going to answer he shouts at them, obviously offended. James glances back and sees the guards staring at them with an expression of indignation. They lock eyes for a moment before the guard turns back to the others.

  “I hate not understanding their language,” comments James after the oasis has disappeared behind them.

  “I know what you mean,” agrees Jiron. “Would make life easier. Is there anything you can do with magic that might help?”

  “Possibly,” he replies, “though I’m not sure how to go about it. Foreign languages were never my forte.”

  Picking up speed, they once again race to catch the force ahead of them. It isn’t long before the road begins turning to a more southerly direction. All of a sudden, Jiron stops in the middle of the road.

  “What’s the matter?” asks James coming to a stop as well.

  Jiron is studying the ground intently. “I think they left the road already,” he explains. The telltale signs of their passing which have been evident since Bindles are no longer present.

  “I think you’re right,” concurs James. Turning back to the north, they watch the road closely as they travel for the spot where the force turned off. A mile back, just after the road turned to the south, they find where the force moved eastward into the desert. Turning to follow, they break into a gallop.

  An hour into the desert, they see the dust rising from the marching feet of thousands of soldiers. They slow when they come within visual range of the soldiers. At least seven thousand strong, they look to mainly consist of foot soldiers. Only a fraction are cavalry, maybe less than five hundred.

  “Do you sense a mage?” Jiron asks.

  Shaking his head, he says, “No. I haven’t felt any other doing magic since before Kern.” Pulling out his mirror, he brings his horse to a halt.

  “Do you think that’s wise?” asks Jiron. “If there is a mage with them it could get dicey.”

  “I realize that,” he states. Glancing at his friend he adds, “But we need to know the situation. Where are Illan and the others? Are there any other forces converging with this one?”

  “Alright, I understand,” concedes Jiron.

  Summoning the magic, James has the mirror show an overhead view of the army ahead of them. He scrutinizes the leading edge of the force and finds no sign of a mage among them. Holding the image, he waits for a moment to see if the tingling of magic comes to him. When it fails to materialize, he scrolls the image further east.

  Ten miles further ahead of the army lies a river running north and south. Just to the east of the river lies a major road running alongside of it. The road is packed with people. Whole families riding in wagons, pulling wagons, or even carrying their belongings on their backs are in an exodus to the north.

  “Illan’s to the south,” he concludes. When Jiron comes closer he shows him the image of the fleeing people.

  “That means this force is moving to work ahead of him and cut him off from Madoc,” Jiron reasons.

  “Looks that way,” agrees James. He scrolls along the road to the south and it isn’t far before they find what’s left of a bridge. The center span is gone. James smiles when he sees more evidence that the seeds he planted within caravans have worked. He scrolls as far as he can and still the road is packed with people. Before he reaches the point where the draw of magic is too great, he discovers another bridge destroyed.

  Scrolling back north, he continues to scan the road and finds a bridge that is still standing. “That’s where this force is going,” he says as he shows Jiron the image in the mirror. “All the other bridges south are destroyed and this is the only way for them to get across.”

  “So if that bridge wasn’t there they would have to move even further north in order to cross,” reasons Jiron. Glancing to James with a grin he says, “That would delay their encounter with Illan.”

  Nodding, James says, “We need to work our way around this force quickly. Their advance units may already be closing on it.” Turning back to the mirror, he scans the area between here and the bridge and disco
vers a score of riders making for the bridge. He then scrolls across the bridge and to the east.

  “Oh, man” he says as a force of over two thousand foot soldiers appears coming from the north. “Another force is on the way from the north. Looks as if they plan to meet the ones ahead of us at the bridge.”

  “Then launch an attack at Illan and the others,” concludes Jiron.

  Putting the mirror away, James says, “We can’t let that happen.”

  Kicking their horses in the sides, they break into an all out gallop as they angle to the north. Staying just out of visual range, they work their way around the northern flank of the enemy.

  Ta-too! Ta-too!

  Off to their right an enemy scout spots them and alerts the rest of the army. No longer worrying about avoiding detection, they aim their horses directly toward where they believe the bridge to be.

  Another horn sounds ahead and the force of twenty riders James had spied in his mirror earlier appear. The riders are coming straight for them with the undeniable intention of attacking.

  Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

  The ground erupts under the leading edge of the riders. Horses and men are thrown into the air as the charge falters. When the dust clears, only six riders are continuing the attack.

  James slows his horse while removing a slug from his belt. Glancing southward to the other force, he sees their horsemen coming fast. Turning back to the six ahead of him, he looses the magic as he throws the slug. Moving at the speed of a bullet, it strikes the lead rider and knocks him from his horse. Removing another slug, he again drops a rider to the ground.

  Crumph!

  Letting loose the magic once more, three of the remaining horsemen are thrown into the air. The last man still astride his horse manages to keep his steed from faltering. With sword in hand the rider rides directly at them.

  Jiron moves to intercept before the rider has a chance to engage James. With knives out, he closes with the rider. The enemy horseman strikes out at Jiron as he passes him on the left. Jiron blocks the blow with the knife in his right hand as he strikes out at the rear of the rider’s horse with the left. Opening a deep gash along its hind quarters, the horse rears up in pain.

  The rider manages to remain in the saddle as he works to steady his mount. Jiron quickly moves in and closes with the rider. Lashing out with a knife, he almost connects with the man’s side before his sword blocks the attack.

  Again, Jiron lashes out at the horse and scores another deep wound, this time in its flank. The blow severs several muscles and the horse cries out again in pain as it collapses. Vaulting from his horse, Jiron hits the ground and moves to finish the rider who has one leg caught under his horse.

  Working to extricate himself from the fallen horse, the soldier tries to defend himself when Jiron closes for the attack. His sword easily blocks one knife but the other finds an opening and sinks into his side, puncturing a lung. Moving away from the trapped, dying man, Jiron catches a flash out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he realizes the flash was another of James’ slugs on its way to take out a horseless rider that had survived the earlier explosions.

  “Come on!” shouts James. He indicates the riders closing rapidly behind them.

  Moving to his horse, Jiron leaps into the saddle and they again race for the bridge. Still several miles away, their horses are quickly becoming fatigued. The hard pace of the last two days has definitely taken its toll.

  Staying low in the saddle, they keep the pace quick. The riders behind them gradually close the gap, their fresher horses able to maintain a quicker speed. When the riders have closed the distance to within fifty yards, they begin to see people moving across the horizon. It’s the road to the bridge!

  “Not much further now,” Jiron shouts. In minutes they’ve reached the road and race alongside, the refugees fleeing the approach of Black Hawk line the road so thickly, James and Jiron are unable to use it. When the people who are on the edge of the road see them coming fast, they quickly get out of the way.

  Behind them, the riders continue to close the gap, now only thirty yards away. Fortunately they are as hampered by the ebb and flow of the refugees as James and Jiron are so are unable to gain any faster.

  Then all of a sudden the river appears ahead of them. James looks with horror at the jam packed bridge crossing over the river full of women, children and the elderly.

  Jiron sees it too and yells, “You have no choice!” When he sees James hesitating, he shouts, “Do it!”

  No! Focusing on the ground to either side of the bridge, he lets the magic flow…

  Crumph! Crumph!

  …the earth erupts in two massive explosions. The refugees scream in fear as they flee. Tweaking the dust from the eruptions, he forms it into a humanoid figure twice the size of a man and has it begin to stalk toward the bridge. That’s enough for even the bravest of those still upon the bridge. At the sight of the twelve foot tall creature walking toward them, they turn tail and race for the other side.

  By the time James and Jiron reach the bridge, the area is in total chaos. The creature has reached the edge of the bridge and is beginning to walk across. James aims for the bridge and races right through the dust formed creature. As he exits through the creature and begins to cross the bridge, he cancels the spell. Hooves thundering, they race across to the other side. A gathering of people has formed a little ways from the beginning of the bridge and he has to slow in order not to run them down. With Jiron right behind, he clears the bridge and turns to the right.

  Behind them, the enemy riders have already gained the bridge and are crossing fast.

  Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

  Three explosions rip through the center span of the bridge. The people cry out in fear as horses, riders and stone erupt into the air. James slows as he gazes back. With a crack, the center span of the bridge collapses into the river below. On the far side of the river, the enemy riders who had yet to begin crossing over come to a quick halt. None made it to the other side.

  “James!” Jiron cries out when he sees several of the riders on the other side of the river remove crossbows from behind their saddles. Turning their fatigued horses from the river, they break into a gallop and head for the open desert. The people on the road part quickly to avoid being run over. Soon, they are out of crossbow range and the river is disappearing quickly behind them.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Since leaving Korazan behind, Illan has led the Black Hawk Raiders along the road north. With a wagon train stretching out over a half mile, not to mention the freed slaves that he’s brought with him, they have moved at a crawl.

  From the weapon stores of the slavers and the dead bodies of the enemy soldiers, they were able to equip most of the freed men with armor and weapons. Those who had never wielded a weapon before were given crossbows and formed into squads. The women, children, and the few elderly stayed within the center of the column as it marched northward toward Madoc.

  Among the freed slaves, jubilation reigns. When before all they had to look forward to was a life of misery and servitude, now they are free with the hopes of remaining that way. Surely if anyone can bring them forth out of the Empire alive and well, Black Hawk can.

  The rest accompanying him have a more realistic appreciation of the situation. They know there are still forces that yet lie between them and Madoc. None believe they’ll simply be allowed to walk to safety. It’s simply a matter of time before sufficient forces gather to strike.

  Scouts are out in every direction and so far haven’t reported sighting any other sizeable force. When a patrol or caravan comes within striking distance, Ceadric takes several hundred Raiders and takes them out. Whenever the enemy is destroyed, they strip the dead of their armor and weapons. They then take them back and arm what freed slaves that are still without.

  During their trek northward, the towns they encounter are quickly taken. Soldiers are killed, slaves are freed and given the opportunity to join them, and t
he shops are raided for much needed supplies. A force this large goes through food quickly. Illan gave the order that civilians are not to be accosted under any circumstances. Any who give them problems were to be brought to him for judgment.

  So far the process has worked fairly well. The first town they raided after Korazan, a couple of the new, younger raiders took advantage of a young woman. When brought before Illan, the young men pleaded their innocence but too many had witnessed them taking her into the building. Illan pronounced them guilty and left their bodies hanging from the eaves of the building where the woman was attacked as an example to the rest. Since them, there have been no reports of any molestation of civilians by any of his men.

  Another item the scouts were on a lookout for were bridges. The sack of crystals containing the explosive ones James had left him is now all but empty. Only two crystals remain. Whenever a bridge was sighted, he sent Ceadric with the sack of crystals to take out the bridge. He and his men would ride up to the bridge where he would toss a crystal onto the center span. Ten seconds later the crystal would explode leaving a large hole in the center. A few were made more sturdily and required two of the crystals to destroy it.

  Earlier this morning while they were on the move, scouts reported the fortress of Al-Ziron was but two days ahead of them. A force of over a thousand men was estimated to be garrisoned there. Unwilling to tackle a fortified fortress, he makes the decision to leave the road and head cross country to the northeast. With any luck he and his men will be too large for them to attack, and those soldiers will remain where they are, allowing them to pass by.

  The wagons rolling along behind him are filled to brimming with water and food for the horses and people. It’s unlikely they will be able to forage for anything else from here on out. No more towns lie between where they are and Madoc. Any that used to be here were destroyed when the Empire came through last year.

  Riding behind his banner are still over five hundred Raiders, those are all that’s left from the many battles fought since they first entered the Empire. The slaves number close to a thousand; three hundred crossbowmen, five hundred bearing weapons of one type or another, and the rest is made up of the women, children and elderly. The elderly are suffering the trip the most. So far he’s had to leave close to a dozen on the side of the road in a shallow grave after they died from the exertion of the trip.