The Merchant and the Menace

by Daniel F McHugh

  “A dozen riders approach, most of them Keltaran,” stated Ader. “They will be upon us shortly.”

  “Who was that woman?” Eidyn asked Teeg.

  The Master of Spies bit his lip and muttered an explanation. Manfir cut him off.

  “There’s no time for that now, Eidyn. We are set upon by the mountain dogs!” shouted Manfir as he glared toward Granu.

  The giant was unfazed. A contemplative expression crossed his face.

  “A Keltaran Hammer unit so far from the Anvil and deep in Zodrian land,” stated the giant. “This is unusual.”

  The giant moved behind Flair’s mare and threw his hood over his head. Manfir scoffed and wheeled his warhorse to face the growing dust cloud.

  “Keep your ranks tight,” barked Manfir. “And Flair, take care to watch your back.”

  The pounding of hooves filled the air. Kael stared out to see riders and their mounts filling the hilltop. Dust swirled and rose around the figures as their massive horses whinnied and stamped. Kael never saw anything like these horses. They were huge, easily as tall as Tarader, yet not nearly as sleek. Their backs were broad, built for power not speed. The horses’ coats were long and shaggy. Clumps of hair hung over enormous shoulders. They were outfitted in steel, from a studded plate on their brow down to their shoes.

  The Keltaran paused then began a slow trot toward the road. Kael noted several hooded and cloaked riders near the back of the formation. A leader separated from the crowd. His warhorse trotted a few yards ahead of the group. Eidyn slid the arrow back onto his bowstring.

  “I’ll wager they slipped through the Chimgan Pass,” stated Manfir.

  Granu’s grunt from behind Flair was all the acknowledgment the group needed. Manfir, Ader and Teeg rimmed the edge of the road flanked by Kael and Eidyn to their left. Flair sat in the rear and Granu stood next to the boy’s mare.

  The Keltaran leader came within Eidyn’s range and drew a large battle-ax from behind his back. Kael felt his heart begin to pound rapidly. The Keltaran lifted the ax high in the air, then grabbed the head and pointed the handle toward the road.

  “He seeks parlay,” stated Teeg.

  “What does that mean?” Kael whispered to Eidyn.

  “He wishes to talk,” replied Eidyn in hushed tones. “He agrees to no violence and wishes to approach.”

  “Does he think we’re crazy?” said Kael. “Look at those men!”

  “He neither thinks you are crazy nor quite formidable,” came a rumble from behind Flair. “He wishes to talk rather than fight. In his mind, a Keltaran Hammer unit against our ragged group is no match. If his first option were force, he would have used it. Accept his parlay and see what he says.”

  Manfir hesitated but after a nod from Ader the Zodrian prince drew his sword and extended the handle toward the Keltaran.

  “Manfir accepts the parlay,” Eidyn whispered to Kael.

  The giants moved forward and halted twenty yards from the road. Many of the riders matched their horses, huge men with shaggy red and brown manes trailing over muscled shoulders. They wore helms of tight fitted steel with studded nose guards. Leather and steel were bound over forearms and legs. Their front line was armed with either battle-ax or cruelly barbed pike.

  Tarader threw back his head and whinnied loudly. The Keltaran mounts startled and shifted under their riders. The mountain men struggled to gain control. In the confusion, Granu softly called to Ader.

  “They wear the uniform of the imperial guard, my brother Fenrel’s troops.”

  The Keltaran mounts regained their composure and the rank reformed. Kael noticed the ghostly image of a ram’s skull emblazoned on each man’s chest. Their leader removed his helm and rested it upon his saddle.

  “Quite an odd company traveling the Northern Trade Route,” he stated.

  “No more unusual than a Keltaran Hammer this far from home in Zodrian territory,” returned Manfir.

  The leader smiled dismissively. The head of his giant ax rested in his lap, and the handle still pointed past his horse’s head toward the road. His elbows rested on the flat of the ax blade as he lazed in his saddle.

  “Ah, yes,” smiled the leader. “We are a bit out of the way. We’re on an errand for his majesty.”

  “Grannak has sent you this far into Zodrian territory?” questioned Ader. “Does he invite Zodrian retribution? What trifle tempts him to start another upheaval?”

  “Ah ... 'twas not Grannak’s order. I’m on direct orders from Fenrel,” smirked the Keltaran.

  “The last time I checked,” began Teeg. “Grannak ruled in the mountain city.”

  “Oh he does, he does,” exclaimed the leader through pouting lips. “But he grows so tired and old. Circumstances compelled Fenrel to relieve the king of certain responsibilities. Besides, I don’t intend to alert Zodrian authorities of my presence. I come to retrieve something. Once I take what I want, I will go in peace. No one will be the wiser and we all gain from this meeting.”

  “What trinket does this motley crew possess, that interests the royal House of Hrafnu?” asked Ader holding a hand out toward his group. “And what do you possibly posses that we might want in exchange?”

  A smug expression crossed the Keltaran’s face.

  “Did you not know, old man? You possess the House of Hrafnu itself, you fool. Fenrel wants it back!”

  The leader shot a finger toward the cowled Granu.

  “There stands Granu son of Grannak, heir to the throne of Keltar. All that is and will be Keltaran stands in his grasp. Fenrel wants it!”

  Manfir glanced over his shoulder at the figure of Granu then spun back to the Keltaran war party.

  “You talk in riddles, Keltaran. That is but the slow-witted nephew of the old man here,” nodded Manfir toward Ader. “However, you still didn’t answer the second question. What do you offer us?”

  “A Southland farmer with the brains to barter,” laughed the leader to his troops. “I offer you that which is most precious to you. I offer you your lives! You may ride from here unmolested. Go. Travel north and join the Guard. You will fall to a Keltaran ax or an Ulrog cleaver on some other day. Just ride away and say nothing of this event. The House of Macin will never be the wiser.”

  Manfir frowned and looked back at Granu. The giant stood immobile. Manfir furrowed his brow.

  “You make a few mistakes in your logic, mountain dog,” began the prince as his eyes narrowed. “First, your offer of our lives is invalid. They are not yours to give, only yours to take if you dare. Since you asked for parlay first, I think you don’t dare. Second, the House of Macin already knows of your trespass on their lands and determined an appropriate response. You will take nothing from Zodrian lands without the Royal House’s approval, and they do not give it.”

  “Under whose authority?” barked the leader as he sat upright.

  Manfir slid the chain holding the ring from inside his cloak.

  “Manfir, son of Macin,” snapped the prince.

  A murmur spread through the ranks of the Keltaran. The leader looked perplexed and hesitated.

  “Kill two birds with one stone, Sherta!” called a familiar voice from the back ranks of the Keltaran.

  The leader glared back over his shoulder.

  “Silence! I’m in charge here!” bellowed Sherta.

  The Keltaran leader swung back to face the road and encountered Granu as the giant stepped past his companions and threw back his hood. He stood leaning heavily on his staff surveying the mounted troop before him.

  “Sherta? How do I know that name?” Granu questioned himself as he stroked his badly scarred head and inched forward. “Sherta?”

  Finally, the giant snapped his fingers in recognition and stared hard into Sherta’s eyes.

  “Are you the same worthless Sherta who called for the retreat at Kel Moor and allowed the Ulrog to overrun the outpost?” began Granu. “You couldn’t possibly be that Sherta! I hope that Sherta rests in chains somewhere for abandoning his post.�
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  Sherta grimaced and ground his teeth.

  “That situation was untenable,” grumbled the Keltaran leader. “We were surrounded and our...”

  Granu ignored Sherta’s protest and focused on another member of the Keltaran group.

  “Catra,” called Granu. “Well met.”

  Sherta reddened in anger. A Keltaran soldier nodded and smiled to Granu.

  “Well met, Prince Granu. Your barber was a little harsh with your last cut,” returned Catra smiling. “I assumed it might have grown back by now?”

  Granu gave a weak smile and rubbed his huge hand over the scars on his bald head.

  “'Twas a punishment meant to shame me, but I grow accustomed to it. The scars will fade,” murmured Granu. He frowned toward Catra. “You wear the skull of my brother’s unit?”

  “Fenrel disbanded the brotherhood. All of the faithful were assigned to military units. Are you fully recovered from your last encounter with your brother?” Catra nodded toward Granu’s lame leg.

  “It comes and goes,” replied Granu rubbing his knee.

  The display of weakness emboldened Sherta.

  “Silence Catra! You are under my command now,” shouted Sherta maneuvering to face Granu. “Under the authority of Prince Fenrel, I order you to...”

  “I hold no quarrel with you, Sherta,” barked Granu once again cutting off the Keltaran leader. “I’m no threat to my brother. Leave me in peace.”

  Sherta hesitated and looked uncertain of his next move. His eyes darted between his troops and Granu.

  “Leave him, Sherta,” called Catra. “He’s a wanderer, an outcast. Grannak forbade anyone to harm him. He begs an existence off our enemies by using his name. He owns nothing more to give them and that will soon grow stale. Do not start another war over a lame beggar.”

  Sherta’s eyes shifted between his troop and Granu.

  “You requested parlay and it was granted,” stated Granu. “Your request for my custody is denied. Honor your parlay and retreat for a measure of time. If you still wish to take me, only then may you use force.”

  Kael shot a glance at Eidyn.

  “They are honor bound to retreat until the sun travels its width three times across the sky.” whispered Eidyn.

  Sherta glared at Granu and muttered to himself. He fidgeted with the heavy blade of the ax and glanced back to his troop. The Keltaran warriors murmured amongst themselves. Kael noticed one of the cloaked figures from the back of the formation moving up just behind Catra. Sherta mumbled loudly.

  “We will... ah... must ... We need to consult on the matter.”

  “There’s no need to consult,” stated Catra. “Grannak banished Prince Granu and gave him an oath of protection from all Keltaran. To bring him home is illegal and to kill him is treason. When we rode from Keltar, Grannak was still king. It’s time to end this farce and ride on.”

  Kael saw a flash of steel from the cloaked figure behind Catra. A powerful, tattooed forearm shot forward and slammed a blade into the giant’s exposed ribcage. Catra’s eyes went wide with surprise. The assailant’s other hand looped a cord over Catra’s head and yanked it tight around the giant’s throat. At the same instant, the killer’s motion caused his hood to fall away. Kael stared into the red glowing eyes of Tepi.

  Illustrations of fire breathing Malveel covered the trader’s arms. Strange symbols tattooed his face. He muttered incantations as he neatly dropped Catra’s body to the ground. Suddenly, his voice boomed in fury.

  “You are the Maul of Fenrel, his chosen warriors! Ignore this traitor who would force you to serve the Zodrians!” bellowed Tepi pointing to Catra’s body. “Do your master’s bidding and you will receive glory in the halls of Keltar! Take Granu the lame and make him a sacrifice to Amird!”

  Events were happening so rapidly, Kael felt overwhelmed. He watched green fire crackle about the hands of Ader. The Seraph grew as he stared down from atop his stallion.

  “You seal the fate of your soul today, warlock,” shouted Ader raising his hands.

  The sight of Ader caused the Keltaran to hesitate. Kael was unsure if the giants would charge or run. Tepi’s eyes widened in shock as green Seraph fire encased Ader, revealing the old man’s identity. However, the evil warlock quickly recovered.

  “Save your breath, lapdog,” snarled Tepi. “It is known to all, you cannot hurt another human. Your weakness allows you only to protect yourself.”

  The entire assembly froze for a moment like the tapestry Kael viewed in Rindor then erupted in action. Sherta flipped the blade of his battle-ax. In one smooth motion he snatched the handle out of the air and directed the blade toward Granu. The Keltaran leader’s shaggy warhorse bolted forward. Granu leapt aside, dodging the heavy blade and thrusting his staff at Sherta. The momentum of Sherta’s mount carried him directly into the tip of the staff. Granu stood firm, legs braced against ground. The staff’s tip hammered Sherta across the bridge of the nose and the Keltaran leader’s head snapped back with a sickening crunch. Sherta’s entire body rose a few inches off the saddle of his warhorse then flopped lifelessly to the ground.

  The roadside flared into a swirling confusion of noise, weapons and horses. Kael quickly drew the Needle of Ader and was stunned to see it glowing with the same green flame that surrounded the Seraph. Keltaran charged toward the road with weapons drawn. Kael heard a strum to his left as Eidyn loosed an arrow into their midst. Tepi wheeled his mount and shouted to the back ranks of the Keltaran formation.

  “Concentrate on the old man, fools!” blared the warlock.

  The remaining two hooded figures threw back their cowls. For the first time in his life Kael’s eyes fell upon the sight of every Zodrian child’s nightmares. Two hulking Ulrog, nearly as large as the Keltaran, raised rusty cleavers and charged through the Keltaran formation toward Ader. Kael’s frightened childhood visions didn’t compare to the waking horror that rushed the old man. Sloping, hairless heads covered in bits of rock and filth sat upon huge rounded shoulders. The Ulrog were built with no necks to speak of. Their heads simply connected directly to their powerful shoulders. Cords of knotted muscle and chunks of rock covered long, mud colored arms. Kael was amazed at the reach of the beasts as they raised their cleavers on high.

  Red flame shot past him and slammed into Ader. The boy flinched and covered his eyes. Tepi sat near the back of the formation, eyes aglow. Flame covered the bald man’s hands and he raised them above his head.

  “He’s weak from his encounter with Lord Methra. Finish him!” cried Tepi.

  The Seraph threw up a wall to protect himself from Tepi’s assault and was distracted. The Ulrog were almost upon him. Manfir slammed his warhorse into their path. His sword slashed down at the nearest Ulrog. The beast threw an arm up and met the blade. Kael sat stunned. Manfir’s sword glanced off the rock-encrusted arm in a shower of sparks.

  The Keltaran giants moved in. Granu stood at the forefront of Kael’s group spinning his staff and blocking ax chops. Eidyn worked feverishly with his bow, slowing the enemy with a quick rain of arrows. Several found their mark. Two Keltaran dropped to the ground clutching arrow shafts. However, the enemy was too close and heavily armored for the arrows to halt their charge. Kael sat helplessly while the enemy remained focused on Ader, Granu and Manfir.

  The Zodrian prince drew a second blade and struggled to protect himself from the cleaver wielding Ulrog. Tepi allowed the battle to move away and blasted fire at Ader. The Seraph worked hard to shield himself and Manfir from the fiery assault. Many of the Keltaran focused on Granu, but several finally realized the damage Eidyn’s bow accomplished. Three swung free and stormed toward the Elven prince.

  Instantly, Teeg blocked their path. The lead Keltaran snarled and hefted his heavy ax in his left hand. Teeg sat motionless as the Keltaran charged and cocked the ax head back. The old Elf leapt to a standing position on the back of his horse as the Keltaran approached within five yards. Teeg smiled. The Keltaran swung the ax at the old Elf. An instant
before contact, Teeg leapt into the air throwing his feet up over his head. The Keltaran’s ax whistled through emptiness. The Elf twisted and spun, tucking his arms in close to his body. The giant’s arms and shoulders lurched forward and he desperately tried to slow the movement of his heavy ax. A glint of steel flashed from the Elf’s cloak and hammered into the back of the giant.

  Teeg affected a perfect landing on the broad back of his mount. Kael recoiled in fright as the Keltaran rumbled toward him. The giant dropped his ax to the roadside and both of his hands struggled and fumbled with something on the back of his neck. His eyes were filled with dismay. His huge, shaggy horse galloped past Kael. The giant’s hands were wrapped around the hilt of Teeg’s dagger. It protruded from beneath the rim of his steel helm. The doomed Keltaran slumped forward, dead in the saddle.

  “Kael! Move!” shouted Eidyn

  Kael wheeled to face Eidyn. A second Keltaran chose the Elf prince as his quarry. Eidyn bumped Kael from his way and loosed an arrow at his attacker, but it glanced off the Keltaran’s armor. Eidyn fumbled with a second arrow while the Keltaran charged from his left. The giant’s ax came down hard toward the Elven prince. Eidyn quickly slid from the mare’s back to her side, nearly falling to the ground. The ax glanced off the back of the beast tearing its flesh. Eidyn squeezed his legs around the stallion’s midsection and avoided being unseated. The Elf loosed another arrow from this prone position as the Keltaran passed. The bolt shot upright and glanced off the breastplate of the giant. Its steel tip ricocheted off the armor and traveled upward, catching the Keltaran under the chin and driving into his head. He too traveled a few more yards before falling to the ground dead.

  The third rider was focused on Kael. Eidyn was unable to right himself in order to notch another arrow and Teeg was just dropping onto his mount’s back. Kael panicked. He yanked hard on his mare’s reins and turned her from the fight. Frantically he hammered her flanks with his boots. The mare lurched forward and sprinted across the road. The Keltaran howled and gave chase. Wild-eyed, Kael stared over his shoulder at his pursuer. The Keltaran leveled a long, barbed pike at Kael and gained ground. The boy’s vision shot forward searching for an avenue of escape.