by Sam Sea
“You could not known about these guys bringing in red lotus? Your tracking system is obviously incomplete.”
“You are probably right.”
"Maybe he landed on other parts of the planet, maybe he is not even alive... But I know Val got high-powered scanning equipment and he will search through here."
"Wish he was here already... We could really use his help."
But Mikka was not ready to listen what a great guy Val was. "You did right to vacate Three Rivers. There was nothing else that could be done."
"You were right. You were the one to save us all. We were not safe there. And the poisoned water... we had to get people away from it. Did you see how many we saved, how many came with us? And more are joining every mile, every house we pass…"
“You haven’t saved them yet…” Derran knew Mikka was right.
“They can push through our rear guards at anytime, and then nobody could stop them.” Ronnich joined them. “And we are to travel even slower going north. They will catch up with us.”
Derran walked over to the wall with a map hanging down from it.
"Look at the map here... You will see that the road north, the quickest road leads over the White river. There is a bridge there I helped build. A stone bridge. It would be wise to hold on to that bridge until we cross over. Then if we can defend it for a day or two, that may give us enough time to get closer to monastery.”
"Leave me with hundred men...” Mikka said although she felt wariness overcome her. “I will meet them there... whoever comes. It will force them to fight us only on one side only. We can hold them there. And that should give you enough time to advance. But make haste for I am getting very tired.”
"Yes, if you can hold on to that bridge, and then destroy it afterwards, that would do…”
|I will hold on to it as long as I can. Many of the peasants living around will need time to pass over it. Because once it is destroyed, they will be on the mercy of those cannibals."
Derran smiled at Mikka's words, and nodded his head ever so slightly in approval. "You are merciful... there is still a lot of good in you... I know I was not wrong about you."
Mikka looked at him very soberly. "Just make sure you do what you promised. What about three kings that went hunting? Has the words reach them? Are we expecting them soon?"
"Yes, they send a raven back... they should be here by the morning. I will send the army everywhere to start destroying all barges, telling people to make it to the bridge."
"That sounds like a good plan."
"I will make a haste and prepare the monastery for them."
"And charge my ship. I want to leave as fast as I can..."
"Yes... I will do so.." Derran agreed.
"I want you to go with them..." Mikka told Les as soon as he approached her.
"No, I do not think so."
"You are sick, and you will die..."
"No, that is not true. I feel great. I actually never felt better in my whole life... I guess you must be hearing that a lot since seeing you does that to a person."
Mikka smiled. “It was a long time since anybody sweet talked to him. But, I do not want you hurt."
"Hurt? Don't you know that is not possible. Ever since I had your blood..."
"You are wrong… How many times I have to say that? That might have helped you but you are not immortal! Do you understand?"
But lazy, nonchalant smile was not leaving Les's face.
"Besides, Silent and Sol needs protection..."
"Ronnich can do it. He can take care of them. Besides, you will not make him depart from his wife and child? He will fight twice as hard by their side, don't you know? So, why is it that you do not want me next to you? Why is it that you try so hard to push me away?"
"I do not know..." Mikka really did not know. But she tensed up every time she thought about Les being in danger. She did not like the feeling. She could not understand it. “I am too tired. I need to rest…”
"But..." she said finally freezing off the smile on his face "...I have this foreboding feeling... like I know if you stay next to me, you will die... And that in a way, I will be the one to kill you... Do you understand?"
"I am ready to risk that."
Mikka shook her head, leaving the room, looking for a place to crash. Her mind was slowly saying good-night, and her worn-out body were out of her control. Even making a single step seem difficult.
But all the rooms were full and crowded in the castle. Mikka saw to it that Silent was together with Ronnich family. As the little prince, wanted to stay with them, they took him in, his mother being with priests in the chapel, praying... Ronnich let his wife and three of the children take the bed, and he laid on the carpet next to it. They invited Mikka to share the space with them, but she decided to sit outside the door.
"Are you all right?" Silent came to her as the castle slowly quieted down and drifted into tension-filled sleep.
"Yes... I am fine..." Mikka said and patted her blond hair.
"You will be fighting tomorrow, aren't you?"
"Yes... most likely. I've been fighting almost every day since we came here... I am tired now… Need to sleep."
But Silent wanted to talk. “Those men there...they seem almost like wolverines on Pluk..."
"They are worse... they are bigger and stronger. And crazier..."
"I'm not worried. I know you will be fine..." Silent said as she hugged her.
"There are going to be a lot of things happening tomorrow. I want you to stay close to Ronnich family. If he is not around, look for Master Derran. Whatever happens, do not wonder off..."
"I know, don't worry. I will be safe. I am not worried. I know you are going to fight tomorrow and kill every one of them who even dare to come close to us. And you look so tired, so I leave you to rest."
"I'll try..."
"I want you to take the staff you gave me. You will need it more than me. And it may come useful if you get circled by the enemy..."
"Okay..." Mikka said quietly, not even thinking any more, not considering or accepting the possibility that such scenario might happen. It has been already a long time since she learned to trust Silent's senses. She did not know how the little girl knew, but her premonitions always seemed right.
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep even while Silent was there.
"You sleep tight, my brave red warrior,” Silent whispered to her as she kissed her gently on the forehead. “I will see you soon."
She shut the torch next to the door and took a big bear skin off the wall and coved Mikka up, almost completely.
How long Mikka passed out on that floor, she had no idea. But everything was very dark when the loud footfalls jerked her out of her comma-like sleep. She curled her head out of the bear skin to see a torch being carried by the priest in white. She recognized Derran even with only half of her left eye being opened.
Where was the old master going, and what the hell is he doing?
She had no time to ponder on those questions, as the shadow passed next to her. Unlike her ex teacher, it moved silently, hugging the darkness of the wall, with the grace of a cat, almost stepping on top of her.
Her eyes opened wide and she recognized the back of him. It was Les following the priest. In both of his hands, she could clearly see, he held two daggers as he advanced toward Derran.
Without making a sound, she snaked out of the bear's fur, and slowly got to her feet to see the master disappear, taking a left turn ahead. Les seemed to follow, the darkness of the lost torch painting the corridor black.
Mikka thought for a second she was dreaming, but then sounds, of a small hushed cry and a body dropping to the floor reached her, and she stood frozen for a second, waiting, not knowing what to do.
The very next second, Les got back out of the corner and run down the corridor to the right. She swore she could have seen the blood dripping from his dagger.
No, Les, what have you done?! She cried inside herself and
ran to see what had happened. "No, no, no..." She was beside herself in disbelief as she turned the corner to find...
Derran was standing there with a torch still in his hand over two bodies.
"There was a third one... Les ran to get him..." Derran looked at her shocked face, and a sigh she released made him look at her again.
Mikka could not understand all of it, but was happy it was not what she feared the most. She touched the old man to make sure "I am fine, don't worry. Assassins, they were sent to kill me. Les recognized them hiding under the uniforms and villagers rags.”
“You served yourself as a bait?”
“Well, it worked quite right, didn’t it? You can see, Les nailed them right in their back. That boyfriend of yours seemed to be proving very useful indeed. Proved to be a very prudent investment after all."
"He is not my boyfriend."
"Whatever...” Derran said.
The cry came from the darkness away, and as they both looked toward it they heard Les say, “I’ve got him.”
“Yeah…” Derran tapped Mikka’s shoulder. “If he is not your boyfriend, why do you look so worried?”
C
hapter 23 - The Battle of the Stone Bridge
The New Stone Bridge, where the Grand Master and Mikka chose to make a stand, was one of the marvels that nobody thought could be build, until Derran himself decided to help them with the construction. It was barely four years old, providing the safe passage over deep and rushing waters of White River. It was almost fifteen feet wide, enough for two carts to pass each other without any trouble, and stretched over two hundred yards across the river.
They made it to the bridge before noon and stood by it, watching as long line of peasants hurried in their carts crossing it.
"The three kings have not arrived yet." Mikka said as she looked at the last of the people hustling over the bridge.
"Have they sent the message? Do we know where they are?" Les enquired besides her.
"Are they alive at all?" Mikka added.
"Their scouts had arrived a few hours ago." Derran mood was murky and he did not look very pleased with what was going on. "They said that the kings went to the town of Ivon, trying to save more people and make their way together with them. Obviously, they wanted to save as many souls as they can. But, time is of essence. They said that they cannot abandon those folks behind, yet how many more will die if they do not make the crossing soon?" Derran looked very crossed indeed. "Also, the bad news does not end there. The messenger told us of king Tormar’s decision to depart. He entrusted us with the future of his family. But he chose to go back to his homeland and castle and defend his keep and those that live there..."
“Young prince will be sad to hear that…” Les said.
"King’s decision is understandable. He is a good man. He feels responsible for those people. He could not just see them abandoned."
"But he also took his hundred of soldiers with him. That means that the force coming this way had been considerable weekend. And what does he think that a hundred soldiers can do against hundred thousand?" the Grand Master was furious with rage. "Stupid and illogical!"
"When do you expect other king to come? How long do we wait?"
"We sent back the message that they have two days to make it here..."
"Do you want me to ride and meet them? I could help." Mikka said, but as soon as she said it, she knew it was a bad idea.
"Yes you could, but, no, you have to stay here, together with the soldiers we are to leave behind. Even like that, your chances are not very good. Take my staff, and my sword."
Mikka shook her head. "No. I have everything I need. Do not worry. You are an old man, you need that staff to walk with. Besides I have my own. Silent gave it to me earlier. And the sword... Give it to your daughter when you see her. But whatever you do, stay close to Silent. Her life is your responsibility. I do not want anything to happen to that girl, understand?"
Derran nodded. "At least take my sword. You can give it to my daughter if you ever see her again." Mikka nodded her head.
"You may see her soon..." she told him
"If she is still alive..."
"Like I told you before, if Val is half a man you said he was, then she should be fine."
Derran put his hand around her shoulders, and hugged her..."Stay alive, no matter what.. I need you."
"Don't worry, old man. I did not come here to die. I will stay here and defend this bridge…"
“Give us at least a day, and then you can retreat.”
“I’ll give you more than a day. You just make a haste to your monastery.”
Mikka looked at the line of solders that was left behind with her. Ronnich was there among them, standing a head taller than anybody else.
"I never lead a group of men before..." she said seeing how scared they all seemed.
Two riders were coming from behind, riding hard toward them. They were fully mailed up with a white clock dancing in the wind. As they came close, Mikka recognized sergeant Einnon. The other one, she did not know.
The other rider came of the horse and took his hamlet off. It was Bartolomizus, the crown prince of Kartar.
“My Lady,” he told her as he bowed his head. “I am here at your service…”
Ronnich stepped forward to meet him. “You didn’t think you were going to have all the fun without me…” the crown prince address him as he shook his hand.
“Well I guess we’ll see if you learned something new in the last five years…” Ronnich teased him, reminding him on a day when they crossed their swords at the tournament.
The prince smiled back. “That was one bad day I had… I’ll bet you that I’ll take off more heads than you this time…” Ronnich chucked.
The sergeant Einnon jumped from the horse and kneeled in front of Mikka. All the other soldiers looked at him and did the same.
"We pledge our lives to you. Until the death."
"Until the death!" They all screamed.
"Shut up, you all!" Mikka said, although a strange sense of pride tinkled her skin, goose bumps ran down her back, over her arms, looking at them all kneeling in front of her. "You all get up and listen to me! None of you have a right to die today! Nobody dies! Everyone lives!” She looked at their stern faces, looks of hard man trying to be brave. “We fight and we kill every one of them!”
They roared like there were five hundred of them, and the last of the rapidly departing villagers looked back at them with the outmost awe.
After they settled down, Les joined Mikka side and whispered a question to her. "I really would like to know, why are you so tough? Someone so beautiful, yet so tough…"
"Tough... I do not see myself as such... I'm just trying to survive, just like anybody else. I'm not tough."
"Yes you are..."
"I've been betrayed so many times by those I trust... I actually do not know anybody who have not betrayed me one way or another, except..."
“Except?” Les had to ask.
"That little blond girl there…"
"You would make a good mother..."
Mikka laughed almost aloud.
They heard them coming before they could see them. It was a noise of a stampede.
"Now, I will finally get to see it..."
"See what?"
"How you dance, how you chop heads off..."
Mikka chuckled. "Well, I think you will be able to feast you eyes now," she said as she took out Derran’s sword.
.
It was not too long before the first of the half-orcs started to appear. They came running, their shirts resembling cotton shirts, something that a villager might wear, all torn in rags with the crazy growing muscles underneath broke through them. Most of them had some sort of spears in their hands. Others had exes, pitchforks. Only a few had iron like swords. Yet, Mikka knew that every hug of theirs would be fetal just as the hug of a bear would.
“We keep them at distance!” she commanded to men who stood readily
to receive her commands. “Ten archers move to the right and ten to the left! Stay out of the range of their spears. We cannot afford any of you dead. So do not stay too close to each other. Disperse. Also, we only have about hundred of arrows for each of you. That is not enough to kill them all… So be smart with them. Shoot them in their legs if you have to, try to pile bodies up so to slow down as they race across the bridge. If any of them try to swim over the river, do not shoot them! I do not want to lose arrows in the river, understand? Five swordsmen on each side, behind the archers with shields up. You should cut them down as they make it across the river."
Mikka then walked to the part of the bridge where the earth was soft. She placed her staff deep inside the ground. "No monsters cross this line! Understand!"
"Thirty pike men will hold the last line. You will stay away from them, and fill in the space. You and I Les will fight them as they come across. We take turns. I take a lead first.”
Mikka stepped forward and raise her sword. The fastest of the orcs were already on top of the bridge. “Archers, hold your fire!” she called as few arrows made it through the air landing in orcs chest. They seemed not to stop them. “Archers, wait for them to pass the middle of the bridge, and then shoot in their legs or throats! That should bring them down,” were last of her instructions as she stepped few stones away and swung her sword to take the head of the fastest orch.
She jumped on top of his torso, and used it as a springing board to jump further, behind four orcs that followed. She opened their backs, slicing their spines off in few fast strokes, and used their falling bodies to throw at the new orcs moving on her. She wielded the sword with both hands, sure strikes chopping off heads and legs everywhere she moved. Her swings were so fast and powerful that the blood from her sword flew through the air to land on Les’s face twenty feet back.
“Now I see you…” Les talked to himself beyond her, watching in awe as she danced among the coming orcs which suddenly became less sure of their murdering rush.
