It was almost midday when Lorik finally finished with the volunteers. His stomach was growling but he ignored it. He had to get Queen Issalyn ready to leave for Baskla. He had already assigned four of his volunteers to prepare to be her escort. Four men and the queen’s group of shieldmaidens was not an appropriate guard, but Lorik hoped that she wouldn’t be in danger going north. And he simply didn’t have enough men to send more with her. He would of course try to convince Stone to lead the small party of guards, but he didn’t think the young fighter would go. Lorik could order Stone to go, but they were partners and he didn’t like the idea of forcing his friend to do something he didn’t want to do. Not to mention the fact that Stone could simply quit and do whatever he pleased. Lorik had no real authority over his friend, even if all he wanted was to keep Stone safe.
He was almost to the big tent in the center of the camp when he heard the sound of someone running up behind him. He turned quickly, and only his lightning fast reflexes saved him from being run through with a rusty spear. Lorik dodged to the side, the blade missing his ribs but tearing a hole in his shirt. Lorik grabbed the shaft with his left hand and was about to punch his attacker with his other, when another man ran at him from the opposite direction. It was an ambush, and Lorik knew the men would kill him if he didn’t use the same deadly force to stop them.
The second attacker had a sword and was followed by a larger man with an axe. Lorik drew his sword, the long handled half of the twin swords of Acromin. It glistened in the sunlight, before it flashed down, knocking the assailant’s sword completely out of the man’s hands. The attacker’s momentum made it easy for Lorik to shove him away and deal with the more potent threat. The big man with the axe was lumbering toward Lorik with a look of angry determination. He wasn’t as big as Lorik, but his arms and shoulders were thick with muscle. He carried a fighting axe, which had a thick, metal blade on one side, and a spike on the other.
In the full second it took the big man to reach Lorik, he felt completely exposed. He’d disarmed both of the other attackers, but he hadn’t injured them. There was nothing stopping either man from picking up their weapons and attacking Lorik from behind. Then the big man was close enough to engage Lorik in battle, forcing all other thoughts from Lorik’s mind.
The axe came down in a diagonal stroke aimed for Lorik’s neck. He swayed back, his thickly muscled body more flexible than anyone would have guessed. The axe whistled through the air, and then Lorik rose up with his sword, like the picture of an angry god. He smashed the handle of his sword into the big man’s face, breaking the man’s nose and sending blood flying. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a strong enough blow to stop the man. The axe came back up, the spike driving toward Lorik’s abdomen. He brought his sword down and the blade caught in the wood of the axe’s handle. The big man jerked the axe, hoping to pull Lorik’s sword out of his hand, but Lorik let the momentum carry him into his opponent’s body. Lorik lower his shoulder and crashed into the other man. The attacker fell, and Lorik pulled the axe handle free of his sword and then spun around. The man with the spear had fled, but the other man was once again attacking Lorik. The sword of Acromin, held at Lorik’s long arm length, caught the assailant in the throat. There was a cloud of blood and the attacker fell at Lorik’s feet.
“Who do you work for?” Lorik shouted as the big man struggled to get back to his feet.
Lorik jammed his sword back into the sheath that hung on his massive back, then broke his attacker’s axe over his knee. The wooden handle broke cleanly where Lorik’s sword had cut into it. Lorik dropped the metal axe head and then swung the wooden handle into the side of the big attacker’s head. The man dropped to the ground, completely unconscious.
Lorik turned, expecting more trouble. All around him were the white tents left by the Norsik raiders, there could be any number of attackers hiding behind them, but no one came out. Lorik looked down at the man whose throat he had cut. The man had already died, his life’s blood pooling around his head. Lorik rolled the man over and searched his pockets. There was nothing that indicated who the man was or who had sent him to kill Lorik.
Then a shiver ran down his back. If someone wanted Lorik dead, they might try to kill Queen Issalyn as well. He picked up the unconscious man who he’d clubbed with the axe handle and slung him over one shoulder. Lorik had always been strong. Years of loading and unloading heavy cargo from the wagons he drove through the Marshlands had built a natural strength in him, but the magic of the Drery Dru had increased that strength exponentially. Lorik jogged through the camp. Most of the refugees were near the cooking section of camp, enjoying their midday meal, but the few who saw Lorik and his heavy prisoner looked at them in awe.
Lorik was sweating despite the cold weather when he reached the big tent. He heaved the unconscious man off his shoulder, letting the man’s heavy body crash into the ground beside the entrance to the tent. There was no sign of foul play, but Lorik was still worried. He bent down and went inside the tent. He wasn’t surprised to see Lord Emry standing by Queen Issalyn, who was sitting on a stool looking distressed. Four other men had swords out and were menacing the Queen’s shieldmaidens who had no weapons at hand. The man who had used the spear in the ambush was now speaking with Gunther Emry.
Issalyn looked up, her facing brightening when she saw Lorik.
“Kill him,” Emry ordered his men.
The four men guarding the maidens started toward Lorik
“What is this, Lord Emry?” Lorik shouted as he drew both of his swords, one in each hand. “Why have you betrayed us?”
“I am the rightful ruler here,” Emry snarled. “I’ll not be ordered about by a mud eater from the Marshlands.”
Lorik would have continued the argument but the men around him were threatening. They each had longswords and from the looks of them they were competent in using them. Lorik didn’t wait for the men to attack; he feinted to his left then lashed out to his right. His first attack was caught on the blade of the nearest man easily enough, but that had been Lorik’s intent. He spun past the first man and used his second blade to slice through the thigh of Emry’s second guard. The wounded man screamed as he fell, the bellowing made the others hesitate and Lorik jumped forward. He batted down another man’s sword and then drove his own blade into the man’s chest. He had to kick the dead man’s body off his blade, but he turned as he did so and knocked the fourth man down with his slain companion’s body.
The first guard was hacking at Lorik’s shoulder, and although Lorik brought his sword up to parry the blow, he was a split second too late. His blade caught and held the other man’s weapon, but not before it bit into the thick muscle on Lorik’s shoulder. Blood welled around the blade, and the attacker looked triumphant. Then Lorik swung his other sword and amputated the man’s arm at the elbow. The screams were bloodcurdling and when Lorik turned back to the fourth guard, he found the man scrambling backward, his face pale with fear.
Lorik knew the cowering guard was not a threat, so he turned back to find Emry with a blade to Queen Issalyn’s throat. The man who had tried to kill Lorik with the spear now had a dagger in his hand and was guarding Emry’s back to keep Issalyn’s maidens from saving their queen.
“Drop your weapon,” Emry said in a high pitched voice. “Drop it now or I’ll kill the queen.”
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Lorik said. “You can live or die. Let the queen go, and I’ll let you live. You’ll have to leave the camp and you’ll no longer be a lord of anything, but I won’t kill you.”
“Shut up!” Emry screamed. “Drop your weapon or she dies!”
The tent flaps fluttered as people began coming in. Some were refugees, but Vera and Trinad were among them too.
“If she dies you die,” Lorik said. “Is that really what you want?”
“Drop you weapons!”
Lorik dropped his bloody swords onto the thick carpet of the tent. At that same moment Emry relaxed slightly, the tension in his shoulders
easing a bit. Lorik didn’t hesitate, but jumped forward so fast and so unexpectedly that it was almost as if he had vanished from one spot and reappeared by the queen. He punched Emry in the face, knocking the smaller man backward and into his only remaining ally. Both men fell and the queen’s maidens pounced on them. Some wrestled away the men’s weapons, others dropped down, driving their knees into the men’s backs and heads so that they couldn’t move.
Lorik pulled Queen Issalyn up from the stool and she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, sobbing.
“Are you hurt?” Lorik asked.
She shook her head.
“Vera,” Lorik said, obviously unsure what he should do.
Vera and Trinad came forward. Vera helped the queen to let go of Lorik, who turned to Trinad. The older man was ashen and visibly shaken.
“Do we have a stockade?” Lorik asked. “Any place to keep people who are caught causing harm?”
“No,” Trinad said. “We haven’t needed one.”
“We need one now, see about it quickly. I want Gunther here in chains. Do whatever you have to.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And the man outside, I want him confined as well.”
“What happened, Lorik?” Vera asked.
“Lord Emry tried to have me killed,” he said.
“Well that was a stupid idea,” Vera said.
“The last stupid idea he’ll ever have,” Lorik said angrily.
He stormed from the tent, somehow angrier now that the fighting was over. He walked and walked, trying to calm his mind. Eventually Stone caught up to Lorik. The big man had known his friend would arrive eventually and he was glad for the company.
“I can’t stay here,” Lorik said.
“Alright, but tell me what happened? You’re bleeding, did you know that?”
“It’s nothing, just a scratch,” Lorik said, pressing a rag to the wound in his shoulder. “That little weasel Emry tried to have me killed. He threatened Queen Issalyn.”
“Is everyone okay?” Stone asked.
“Yes, the queen is okay, I’m okay. Several of Emry’s men are dead. I didn’t want to kill them, but they left me no choice. We could have used those men, Stone,” Lorik said angrily.
“I know,” Stone agreed. “But we can’t worry about that now. Why do you need to leave the camp?”
“Because, I’m no good here,” he said.
“That’s not true. Obviously everyone sees you as our leader.”
“But I’m not, or at least I shouldn’t be. I like things done my way, who doesn’t. And maybe I’ve brought this on myself by being too vocal in my opinions, but I shouldn’t be in charge of the camp. We need someone with a cool head, someone who doesn’t slay everyone who disagrees with them.”
“That’s not what happened,” Stone said. “You killed men who were trying to kill you.”
“But why?” Lorik said, finally stopping and turning to look at his friend. “Why were they trying to kill me? I’m not the enemy.”
“Emry saw an opportunity to rise in power,” Stone said. “He was frightened and intimidated by you, but that isn’t your fault.”
“Queen Issalyn should be in charge. She is the rightful Queen of Ortis; I’m no one, just a teamster from Hassell Point.”
“We both know that isn’t true,” Stone said. “And no one ever said this was going to be easy. But why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you.”
“I told you, I need to leave.”
“Why?” Stone asked. “Why is it so necessary for you to leave the camp?”
“I need to stop the threat that’s coming,” Lorik said. “At least slow it down. You know all this.”
“Yes, but none of it explains why you’re in such a hurry to flee the camp. Is it the queen?”
“What about her?” Lorik said.
“Are you falling love with her?” Stone asked.
Lorik stopped walking and turned to look at his friend. He felt a strange sense of embarrassment, as if they were children and Stone had just discovered Lorik’s secret crush. He shook his head.
“How can I be in love with someone I hardly know,” Lorik said.
“Love isn’t a decision you make once you’ve had time to get to know someone. I fell in love with Vera the first time I saw her.”
“I’m not like you,” Lorik said.
“I know that,” Stone agreed. “But you’re still human. She’s a beautiful woman. You’re a man. It’s not a difficult connection to make.”
“She’s the queen, Stone,” Lorik snarled. “Who am I to fall in love with a queen? I could be executed just for talking like this.”
“No you couldn’t,” Stone said, trying unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. “You and I both know her husband is dead. Besides, I’ve heard her talking to you. It sounds like King Oveer was a pig. She deserves to be loved and respected.”
“She does,” Lorik said. “But not by me. I can’t let my feelings for her keep me from doing what I must.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Stone said. “What is it you think you have to do?”
“I have to stop the witch’s army, no matter what the cost.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I won’t survive, you fool. Hell, I doubt any of us will. That’s why you need to take Vera and go north with Queen Issalyn.”
Stone took a deep breath. “Do you know something I don’t know?” he asked.
“I know we are facing an army of mutated people. They may have been farmers or shopkeepers, but now they’ll be monsters.”
“How do you know this?” Stone asked.
“The Drery Dru told me. It’s not the first time this kind of magic was unleashed. The last thing I need to be worried about is some woman.”
“Queen Issalyn isn’t just some woman,” Stone said.
“No,” Lorik agreed, “she isn’t. But I can’t be around her. She’s like a whirlpool sucking me down. I have to leave now, while I still can or I won’t be able to.”
“Maybe you’re not supposed to,” Stone said calmly.
“Don’t joke,” Lorik warned his friend.
“I’m not,” Stone said. “Listen, in my experience, when people have strong feelings about something or someone, there’s usually a reason. Perhaps you should go north with Queen Issalyn.”
“I can’t leave the kingdom undefended.”
“Why not, it isn’t your kingdom.”
“It is my home and besides, I could never turn my back on a threat.”
“I know you have strong principles,” Stone said. “But sometimes in life we have to trust our instincts.”
“It isn’t my instincts that I’m trying to deny,” Lorik said.
“No, it’s your heart.”
“Bah!” Lorik said waving his hand. “I want the woman, I’ll not deny it. She’s beautiful and I would love nothing more than to make her mine, but that isn’t coming from my heart.”
“That doesn’t make you any different than any other man I’ve ever know,” Stone said. “There isn’t much difference between love and lust for most men.”
“I have to go south,” Lorik insisted.
“Alright, but not before you’re ready. Let me help you. What do you need?”
“I’ll need volunteers, horses, weapons, rations, everything.”
“Fine, I’ll get started on that.”
“Good,” Lorik said. “I have to make sure that the queen goes north. Vera is supposed to help me with that.”
“She will,” Stone assured Lorik.
“And I want to see that Lord Emry,” he said the man’s name and title with disdain, “is given a swift end to his treachery.”
“See to it,” Stone said. “Everything will be ready for your departure as soon as you are.”
“Thank you,” Lorik said, feeling his tension ease a little. “I wish I didn’t have to see her again.”
“I think you would regret that,” Stone
said. “Tell the truth, it will free your heart and mind for what you have to do in the days ahead.”
“You’re right,” Lorik nodded. “You’re a good friend.”
“Of course I am,” Stone said with a huge grin. “I’m amazing.”
Lorik turned and started walking back toward the large tent in the center of the sprawling camp. He felt nervous. Seeing Queen Issalyn with a knife at her throat was difficult. He’d never experienced such fear and anger in the same instant before. He thought that he would rather face a thousand monsters from the deepest pits of the underworld than to see Queen Issalyn in mortal danger again.
He wondered for a moment if he was in love with the queen. She was certainly a fine woman; strong, smart, compassionate, and beautiful. He’d never been in love before and he wasn’t comfortable with the way he felt. He loved Vera, but that was a protective, familiar kind of emotion. With the queen, it was as if his heart had been plucked from his chest and was walking around, exposed and in danger. She was never far from his thoughts, and being near her made him feel weak and strong at the same time. His desire for her was strong, almost intoxicating. Yet, he also wanted to honor her, to ensure that nothing he did besmirched her in any way.
It was love, he surmised, but he refused to let it sway his decision. He couldn’t go north with her. What would King Ricard think if he found the Queen of Ortis in a sordid love affair with Lorik? It could damage their mission, and as much as he cared for the queen, he couldn’t leave Ortis exposed. The kingdom had become like his own child. He had a deep seated, unexplainable need to protect Ortis from all threats. He needed to defend the kingdom, even if that meant dying in the process.
Chapter 10
Lorik found that Queen Issalyn’s shieldmaidens were on full alert. Several stood guard around the large tent. Each of the ladies were fully armed and watchful. The news of the attack had spread through the camp quickly and now people were passing by, hoping to catch a glimpse of the queen, or see some of the carnage from the attack.
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