Fire and Frost (Seven Realms Book 1)

by Goodner, Allen

  The first soldier did not even have time to scream; his head flew some yards and still hit the ground before his body followed. The second soldier managed a scream, though Alaric could not tell if it was a scream of rage, defiance, or fear. Perhaps it was all three. In mid-scream he was cut off; razor-sharp claws had cut through his armor and into his chest.

  Still, these were elite soldiers. They had seen more than one of their number cut down before, and they would see still more fall if they lived long enough. Lwellyn let loose with the fusil tempête. A bolt of lightning lashed out and struck one of the beasts; it exploded under the onslaught. The remaining three soldiers rallied, striking down another of their foes.

  It was not enough. The remaining two Frost Fiends roared their defiance. One reached up and crushed a soldier’s face; that man let out a gargling scream as he died. The other grabbed the remaining two soldiers. As though they weighed nothing it lifted them out of their saddles, and then brought them crashing to the ground. They lay there, limp and grotesque, like rag-dolls.

  Lwellyn let out another blast of lightning, taking the third fiend down. The remaining beast howled at him, and charged. Faster than he could get out of the way, it reached up and snatched the precious weapon from his hands. Then it used the gun like a club; bone and brains flew as the doomed soldier fell from the saddle.

  All of this happened before Alaric could understand it, before he could react. These were men who trusted him and who he had trusted. He had grown up with some of them. Their broken bodies screamed out for revenge. His own howl matched that scream.

  He charged at the last Frost Fiend. As the beast reached up for him, faster than he’d thought, he twisted in the saddle. Instead of grabbing him and lifting him from the saddle, the beast was forced to turn its attack into a double-swipe of its massive paws. Alaric ducked, and kicked out with his steel-covered boot, taking the fiend in the face. As it stumbled back, he regained his balance, leaned forward, and thrust his blade into its chest. With a deft twist and pull, he simultaneously enlarged the already mortal wound, and withdrew the weapon to keep it from binding.

  There were two engines left. Eight Frost Fiends awaited them, and the guards had to be arriving soon. Alaric gave that no thought. His eyes gleamed with his rage. His vision narrowed to the enemy in front him.

  Simultaneously, Alaric and Kahji charged at the next war machine in line. It was Kahji’s turn to be in awe of Alaric’s battle prowess. The young knight flicked his sword as though it weighed nothing. Rider and horse moved as one, moving through the Frost Fiends in a beautiful dance of death. It did not matter from what angle the Frost Fiends attacked. If they attacked from the front, they were met by the flashing blade. From the side the met that steel covered foot, and then the sword. If they approached from the rear, they met the steel-shod hooves of the horse’s hind legs.

  In a matter of minutes, it was done. The engine crews all dead, Alaric and Kahji raced back the way they had come. There was no more they could do here. Any attempt to fight through the vast horde would be suicide.

  “We’ll have to go around,” said Alaric, “But we should have bought the castle considerable time. With the machines out of the picture, and from the walls, my father’s men can hold the walls for days. Hopefully we can get close enough to fight our way in.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Alaric and Kahji raced back to where they had left the extra supplies. They knew the guards responsible for the massive siege engines would be chasing them, and they had decided to draw them as far from the main body of the army as possible. When the Frost Fiends overtook them, they hoped to be far enough away from the army that the monsters could not call for reinforcements. If the Frost Fiends broke off pursuit, that would be all to their benefit.

  Reaching the supplies, they rested briefly. For now it looked like pursuit had either broken off, or they had eluded it. Now, with time to think of something beyond immediate survival, Alaric looked back toward the enemy army.

  “Will they leave them alone, Kahji? Will I be able to recover my men?”

  Kahji shook his head. “I do not know, Brave One. I do not know.”

  After they had regained their breath, the two set off again. The course Alaric chose was hard, but it was unlikely that the Frost Fiends would be interested in it. He hoped to make a circuit around the vast horde and move to the castle obliquely. God willing, they would be able to slip between the army and the castle, then in through the sally gate.

  Despite the difficulty of the terrain, their pace was swift. Alaric’s riding expertise meant he could push a horse harder than he would allow most others, and Kahji had no constraints beyond his own limitations. They had started their trek at nearly midday. By the time they reached the angle of approach Alaric hoped to use, the sun was setting.

  “Do we continue in the darkness?” Kahji asked.

  Alaric understood the question. There were competing options for them, and they had to pick the best one. Approaching in the night would make it less likely that they would be seen. If the Frost Fiends broke off their attack once there was no more light, they would have a much easier time of making it to the castle wall, and their entry would pose less risk. If the Frost Fiends continued their attack, the sentries’ difficulty in identifying them would mean they would likely be crushed between that advancing horde and the very castle walls they hoped to protect. If they waited until daylight, however, they would be more likely to be spotted. It would be almost certain that the Frost Fiends would be attacking. Their identification would be quicker, but allowing them in through the sally gate would be much more dangerous. At the very least it would put several defenders at much greater risk while they cleared an area around the door. A wrong choice here could leave them both dead. Worse, it could do that and lead to the castle’s destruction. Even the right choice posed great hazard.

  Alaric pondered for a moment before answering. “We go tonight. At the very least, we should be able to get close enough to have a better sense of what is happening. If it looks like our way would be blocked, we can always choose to stop for the night.”

  The two of them waited until the sun had fully set, and the moon started to rise. Alaric’s knowledge of the area plus the pale light of the moon made their progress swift and sure. Even with those advantages, Alaric chose not to risk the horse. Leading the steed by its reigns, Alaric chose the path carefully but quickly.

  By the time the moon had reached its zenith, they could see the castle walls. In the dim light of the night, Alaric could tell that they were still standing, but little else. That was enough. It meant his men had not died in vain; he had not led them to pointless deaths. It was cold comfort, but Alaric would take any comfort he could find. It also appeared the Frost Fiends had stopped their attack. Whether a temporary lull while they regrouped, or an end to the day’s fighting, Alaric could not tell. It did not much matter; he would use the time to make the approach.

  Remounting, he and Kahji approached the castle at a run. The window might be very narrow. He wanted to gain entry to the walls before any attack began.

  So swift was Alaric’s approach that, in the dim light, he took the sentries by surprise. “Rider approaches! Rider approaches!” he heard from the top of the wall.

  A head appeared, Alaric could not identify who it was in the darkness, but a comforting voice greeted him. “Who goes there?” came Sergeant Jehan’s voice.

  “Sergeant, it is Alaric and Kahji.”

  “Alaric? Where are the men who were with you?”

  “I’ll be more than happy to let you hear my report to my father, but would you please open the gate? We’re rather exposed at the moment.”

  “Of course, my lord, my apologies.”

  The sally gate was opened, and guards rushed out. Alaric and Kahji entered quickly. The guards swarmed back in, and the gate was closed and barred. Quickly the two were surrounded by soldiers, many of them friends of those who had fallen.

  “Someone please get my f
ather,” Alaric ordered. “I’ll wait for him in the hall. Sergeant, would you please accompany us?”

  Alaric, Kahji, and Jehan made their way to the great hall as one of the soldiers ran to get the baron. They entered quietly. Few would be sleeping this night, but Alaric hoped to disturb as few of those who were as possible.

  Entering, they saw Martin and Sir Gyire in deep conversation. They continued toward the dais where the two were in conversing in hushed tones. So intense was their discussion, they did not notice the party arriving.

  “I tell you, we simply have to buy more time!” Sir Gyire hissed.

  “How much time? He was here nearly a month ago now, swearing that he’d…”

  “My lord,” the castellan warned as he noticed Alaric and the others approaching.

  Martin straightened, and turned is haughty gaze on Alaric, “So you have returned. Have you success to report?”

  “It is good to see you, too, my brother. One of the men has already been sent to Father; as soon as he arrives, I will recount what has occurred and what I have seen.”

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve been besieged. Father has to coordinate the defenses of the castle. Certainly your report cannot be so dire as to rouse him from his much needed sleep.”

  “Perhaps you’re right. However, I’ve already sent a man to inform him of my return. Thoughtless of me, but what is done is done.”

  Martin stared at Alaric, who returned the gaze steadily. Alaric was still unsure what was going on with his brother, but the clip of conversation he heard made him more than a little suspicious. Who had been here a month ago? What had he sworn? With a sinking feeling, Alaric began to believe that Martin was playing some kind of game, and that the Frost Fiends were not the worst of his worries.

  Before he could arrange his thoughts to begin interrogating his brother, Boores arrived. He looked tired and worried. It was obvious the baron was carrying a great burden. Alaric hoped to be able to relieve him of some of that.

  “My son,” the baron smiled. “You have returned safely.”

  “Relatively so, father. I am sorry to tell you I lost the six men you sent with me. They fell as we attacked the siege engines at the rear of the Frost Fiends’ formation.”

  “I’m sure you bear no blame, my son. We had wondered why the engines ceased firing. Had you not disabled them, we would not be having this conversation. Those missiles they launch are devastating. But, please, report.”

  Alaric quickly recounted the events of the last two weeks. He told them about the attack when they dug up the tablet, and again at the duke’s castle. He explained what the duke’s scholars believed, and his determination to find the Monsignor. He finished with a report on his flight back to the castle, and his assault on the war engines.

  “Father,” he concluded, “I do not know how long we can hold out here, but it is vital we find the Monsignor’s whereabouts. He is the only one who might be able to find a way to neutralize the tablet. In fact, he might be able to explain what happened on the Border with Molari, and we might be able to understand how the Frost Fiends have become able to cross over into our realm. If we can understand that, there is hope we can stop it.”

  Now it was Boores’ turn to report. “We continued repairs when you left. We were even able to get the artificers to reinforce the walls with some rune castings. That may be all that held the wall for us, in the end. That and the end of the threat of those incredible catapults. Then, the day before yesterday, the Frost Fiends returned. Just as before, they immediately began an assault of the castle. Based on what you and the War Leader had told us, we looked for the leader of the army, but either there is not one, or it is too far back from the front for us to find. Regardless, we simply had to weather the attack as best we could.

  “We held out that first day fairly well. Our casualties were fairly minimal, and we were able to kill a large number of the enemy. As night fell, they pulled back some. It wasn’t until then that we realized how vulnerable we were. In most cases, a besieging army will assault the walls for a time, then withdraw for a time, and then attack again. You know this. The Frost Fiends do not. They never stopped that first assault, not for the whole day.

  “When we realized what they had done, we realized we were in serious trouble. As long as the walls held, we could bring in men to allow those on the walls some break. If they ever broke through the walls, though, they would be facing a force exhausted from uninterrupted hours of battle.

  “The next morning, yesterday, they began again. We were sure the walls would be breached, but early in the morning those great siege engines stopped firing. At the time we wondered what had happened; we feared it was some kind of trick, or that they were repositioning to allow those explosive balls to land inside the walls. Had they done that, we would have been doomed. You don’t know how relieved we were when the engines never resumed their fire.

  “So that is where we stand. As long as the walls hold, we have some hope. Even so, the men are tired. Even with breaks between, they cannot keep fighting this long every day. We need some relief.”

  “Have you sent to the duke for reinforcements?” Alaric asked.

  “We have, but it will be weeks before a force from the duke could arrive. I do not think we can hold that long.”

  “Kahji, how quickly could you return to Infierno and return with a force to assist?”

  “My lord!” Martin exploded from his chair, “You cannot bring an army of Igni this far into the barony! Certainly they may aid us against this enemy, but what will stop them from then turning on us?”

  “Martin!” the baron barked, “You will contain yourself.” Turning to Alaric, he continued, “Despite his lack of decorum, your brother has a point. The Igni have been our enemies for generations. I know you have formed a friendship with the War Leader, and that you trust him. Indeed, I trust him as well. I do not necessarily trust his father. With no offense meant, we have been opponents too long for me to set that aside so easily, even in these circumstances.”

  Alaric took a breath to calm himself. Once more he found himself in a situation of politics where the wisdom of his words would be important, but might not be enough. He collected his thoughts for a bare moment.

  Taking another breath, he began, “Father, you are correct that the Igni have long been our enemies. You are right that inviting them so far into the realm is not without risk. But if we do not receive some kind of aid quickly, we will not survive. Would it not be better to survive this attack and then worry about what the Igni may or may not do? If they come and help us, they may turn on us, or they may depart in peace. If they do not come, it is almost certain will not survive.”

  Boores considered for a long moment. Alaric could see the warring emotions within him. Few humans of the Firemarch liked the Igni. They had been too antagonistic for too long for most to like them. Some even hated them far beyond reason. Even the most liberal of the humans feared the Igni, or at least respected their prowess. Against that long-held distrust, the baron was weighing the fate of his people.

  The moment stretched for what seemed like an eternity before he answered. “Very well,” he said quietly. “Lord Kahji, how quickly could you return with reinforcements?”

  Alaric could see the hate on his brother’s face. It simply made no sense to him. Why would someone worry about what the Igni might do when sure death was on the doorstep? He needed to find out, but the castle’s survival took precedence.

  “Lord Baron,” Kahji began, “if I can make it past the Frost Fiends, I can go and return here in four to five days. The force I bring will be small, no more than a hundred warriors, but we should be able to provide you relief and help you hold until your duke can arrive.”

  “Can you set out now? The cover of darkness may aid you in avoiding the enemy.”

  “I can, Your Honor. Look for me in the evening of the fourth day, or the morning of the fifth. If have not arrived by sunset on the fifth day, I have failed in my mission.”
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  “Then please go. This is unnatural to me, but please save my people, War Leader Kahji.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Kahji set out just before the sun’s light began to color the sky. The few hours between had been spent making preparations and charting his fastest course back to the border. With only the barest perceptible lightening of the sky, he left from the sally gate and ran as only an Igni could run. Alaric had almost forgotten that Kahji had been travelling more slowly than normal because of the limits of the men with him. Now, watching him drop into a ground-devouring lope, Alaric realized how fast the Igni could travel when pressed.

  As the fingers of the sun began reaching up into the heavens, Kahji was already gone from view. The men, as rested as they could be, were already up on the walls. Word that their only salvation might be their ancestral rivals had already spread among the troops. Most were willing to accept help from wherever it came. Some few looked as though they would rather not be rescued. Alaric could only shake his head over such mule-headedness.

  When the sun finally leaped up over the horizon, Alaric was able to get his first look at the invaders. He stood beside his father at a window in one of the keep’s towers, surveying the army with a spyglass. Boores hoped that his youngest son would be able to locate the Silverback leading the army. If it could be located and defeated, they could force the army to withdraw once more.

  Alaric located the Frost Fiend cavalry readily enough, but he could not find the Silverback among them. That did not surprise Alaric; he had already decided the Frost Fiends were much faster learners than the Igni had believed.

  Once they started moving, Alaric began looking to see if he could deduce the point of focus for the Silverback. If he could figure out from their movements how their leader was viewing the battle, he might be able to locate the beast. He found no clues there, however. The movement seemed even more chaotic than it had the first time.